Hirundapus caudacutus (Latham, 1801)

Common Names and Taxonomic Placement

The white-throated needletail, Hirundapus caudacutus, is also commonly called the needle-tailed swift or spine-tailed swift. It is a large swift species belonging to the genus Hirundapus.

Unconfirmed Flight Speed Claims

There are unconfirmed claims that this bird can reach horizontal flight speeds of up to 170 km/h (110 mph), as the speed measurement methods have never been published. A more likely maximum speed is 75 km/h (47 mph), which is still at least 100 times the bird’s body length per second.

Nesting and Terrestrial Behavior

White-throated needletails build their nests in rock crevices on cliffs or inside hollow trees. They avoid landing on the ground and spend almost all of their time airborne.

Diet

They feed on small flying insects, including beetles, flies, bees, and moths.

Migratory Range

This is a migratory species: it breeds in Central Asia and southern Siberia, and spends the winter further south in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and Australia. It is a rare vagrant to Western Europe, and has been recorded as far west as Norway, Sweden, and Great Britain.

2013 Great Britain Sighting

In June 2013, an individual was spotted in Great Britain for the first time in 22 years. The bird later collided with a wind turbine and died, and its body was sent to a museum.

2022 Scotland Sighting

In June 2022, a white-throated needletail was recovered by the expedition ship MV Ortelius near Fair Isle, approximately 70 miles off Duncansby Head, Caithness, Scotland, and was successfully released.

2025 England Sighting

In October 2025, an individual was spotted at Tophill Low Nature Reserve in East Yorkshire, England.

Body Shape and Size

White-throated needletails are large swifts with a robust, barrel-shaped body. They measure around 20 cm in length, and weigh between 110 and 120 grams.

Plumage

Their plumage is mostly greyish-brown, with the exception of a white throat and a white patch that extends from the base of the tail to the bird’s flanks.

Tail Morphology

The common name needle-tailed swift comes from the spined tip of its tail, which is not forked like the tails of typical swifts in the genus Apus.

Original Species Description

English ornithologist John Latham first described this species in 1801, under the original binomial name Hirundo caudacuta.

Genus Name Etymology

Its current genus name Hirundapus combines the names of the swallow genus Hirundo and the swift genus Apus.

Specific Epithet Etymology

The specific epithet caudacutus derives from Latin: cauda means "tail", and acutus means "pointed".