Photo: TonyCastro / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Silver-backed Needletail
Hirundapus cochinchinensis
Silver-backed Needletail (Hirundapus cochinchinensis) — Swifts of South & Southeast Asia.
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See what's near you right nowThe Silver-backed Needletail (Hirundapus cochinchinensis) is a member of the Apodidae family found in South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 83.8 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Apodiformes
- Family Apodidae Swifts
- Genus Hirundapus
- Species cochinchinensis
Where it lives
Himalayas from central Nepal to northern Myanmar, Hainan and Taiwan
Quick facts
- Weight
- 83.8 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Apodidae
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Silver-backed Needletail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.
Migration
The Silver-backed Needletail is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Silver-backed Needletail (Hirundapus cochinchinensis) is a member of the Apodidae family, within the order Apodiformes. It is found across South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR Himalayas from c Nepal to n Myanmar, Hainan and Taiwan.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 83.8 g, with a wing length of about 18.3 cm and a tail of around 5.2 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 236,000 km².
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Silver-backed Needletail?
The Silver-backed Needletail is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 83.8 g.
Where does the Silver-backed Needletail live?
The Silver-backed Needletail is found across South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR Himalayas from c Nepal to n Myanmar, Hainan and Taiwan, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Silver-backed Needletail belong to?
The Silver-backed Needletail (Hirundapus cochinchinensis) belongs to the Apodidae family, in the order Apodiformes.
What does the Silver-backed Needletail eat?
The Silver-backed Needletail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Silver-backed Needletail migrate?
The Silver-backed Needletail is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Silver-backed Needletail endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
How large is the Silver-backed Needletail's range?
The Silver-backed Needletail has a mapped global range of about 236,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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