Wildlifeof India
White-throated Needletail
Nightjars, Frogmouths & Swifts
Photo: (c) Barry Langdon-Lassagne, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY (May be cropped or resized)
Hirundapus caudacutus
Basic stats
Diet
Small flying insects such as beetles, flies, bees and moths
Habitat
Nests in rock crevices in cliffs or hollow trees
Range
Breeds in Central Asia and southern Siberia; winters in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and Australia
The white-throated needletail, also called the needle-tailed swift or spine-tailed swift, is a large swift with a robust, barrel-like body. It is a migratory bird that breeds in Central Asia and southern Siberia and winters south in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and Australia (Wikipedia, general species account).
It is reputed to reach 170 km/h in level flight, though that figure is unverified and 75 km/h is more likely, itself at least 100 body lengths a second. It builds its nest in rock crevices in cliffs or hollow trees and feeds on small flying insects such as beetles, flies, bees and moths. SoIB 2023 lists it as a summer migrant of non-specialised habitat that eats invertebrates, and does not assign a priority category (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).
Quick answers
- What does the White-throated Needletail eat?
- Small flying insects such as beetles, flies, bees and moths
- What habitat does the White-throated Needletail live in?
- Nests in rock crevices in cliffs or hollow trees
- Where is the White-throated Needletail found?
- Breeds in Central Asia and southern Siberia; winters in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and Australia