White-throated Needletail

When to see the White-throated Needletail

One bar for each month. Filled bars are the 6 months with records; pale bars are months with none. The wide bar is January, the month with the most records.

Where to see the White-throated Needletail

The map shades 24 countries with regular records, and 6 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

Recorded as a rare visitor in Sweden, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States, Kyrgyzstan, North Korea.

About the White-throated Needletail

The white-throated needletail, also known as the needle-tailed swift or spine-tailed swift, is a large swift in the genus Hirundapus. It is reputed to reach speeds of up to 170 km/h (110 mph) in horizontal flight, but this is unverified because the methods used to measure its speed have not been published. 75 km/h (47 mph) is more likely, but this is still at least 100 times the bird's length per second.

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

Easily confused with

Brown-backed NeedletailHirundapus giganteusThe brown-backed needletail, or brown needletail, is a large swift. Silver-backed NeedletailHirundapus cochinchinensisThe silver-backed needletail is a species of swift in the family Apodidae. Purple NeedletailHirundapus celebensisThis 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.