Purple Needletail (Hirundapus celebensis) | Photos and ID

LCLeast ConcernInvertebrates

ForestCavity nestMedium · 180 g

Purple Needletail (Hirundapus celebensis), photo 1 — Photo: (c) Forest Botial-Jarvis, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Forest Botial-Jarvis · cc-by

Purple Needletail (Hirundapus celebensis), photo 2 — Photo: Forest Botial-Jarvis · CC BY 4.0

Purple Needletail (Hirundapus celebensis), photo 3 — Photo: Forest Botial-Jarvis · CC BY 4.0

Purple Needletail (Hirundapus celebensis), photo 4 — Photo: Forest Botial-Jarvis · CC BY 4.0

Purple Needletail (Hirundapus celebensis), photo 5 — Photo: Forest Botial-Jarvis · CC BY 4.0

ID tip

This bird is a huge swift, measuring on average about 25 cm (9.8 in) long and weighing from 170 to 203 g (6.0 to 7.2 oz), with an average of 180 g (6.3 oz) in one study of 22 unsexed adult birds. The wingspan can range up to 60 cm (24 in), with a wing chord length of 20.3 to 23.4 cm (8.0 to 9.2 in). Only the related brown-backed needletail of Southeast Asia and the white-naped swift of Central America rival this species for size and wingspan, with the latter averaging 5 g (0.18 oz) less than this needletail in weight.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Purple Needletail

One bar for each month. Filled bars are the 11 months with records; pale bars are months with none. The wide bar is March, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Purple Needletail

Regular range

The map shades 2 countries with regular records. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

Philippines Indonesia

About the Purple Needletail

The purple needletail, or hagibas in Tagalog, is arguably the largest swift in the world. It is native to the Philippine archipelago and the Minahasa Peninsula (Sulawesi).

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Silver-backed NeedletailHirundapus cochinchinensisThe silver-backed needletail is a species of swift in the family Apodidae.

Brown-backed NeedletailHirundapus giganteusThe brown-backed needletail, or brown needletail, is a large swift.

White-throated NeedletailHirundapus caudacutusThe white-throated needletail, also known as the needle-tailed swift or spine-tailed swift, is a large swift in the genus Hirundapus.

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