Animalia Life
Hirundapus caudacutus
SUBFAMILY
Chaeturinae
TAXONOMY
Hirundo caudacuta Latham, 1801, New South Wales, Australia.
Two subspecies.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Spine-tailed swift, needle-tailed swift, northern or Asiatic
needletail; French: Martinet йpineaux; German: Stachelschwanzsegler;
Spanish: Vencejo Mongol.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
7.3–7.6 in (19–20 cm); 4.0–5.2 oz (109–140 g). Brown body
with off-white mantle and white throat, forehead, and markings
on flanks and undertail-coverts; dark wings with blue gloss
fading to green on remiges and coverts. Juveniles have black
terminal tips to some of the undertail-coverts.
DISTRIBUTION
Forested areas from central Siberia east to Sachalin, Kurile Islands,
and northern Japan; southern Himalayas; wintering in
Australia and New Zealand, and to sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island.
Accidental in Seychelles, western Europe, and British
Isles. Only North American records in Pribiloff Islands.
HABITAT
Dense old-growth forest with abundance of dead and hollow
trees; occasionally roosts in large eucalyptus groves.
BEHAVIOR
Often occurs in large flocks; sometimes forages close to trees,
even striking the vegetation to flush out insect prey. Considered
to be one of the fastest flying birds, reaching speeds in excess
of 100 mi/hr (170 km/hr).
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
A wide diversity of insects and spiders.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Uses hollow interior of large forest trees as nest sites. Clutch
ranges from two to seven eggs, which are incubated starting
with the first egg causing hatching to be asynchronous. Breeding
in late May through the middle of June; migration begins
in late September and early October.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Species is not in need of any conservation measures.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
None known.
Photo Gallery of - White-throated needletail
