About Rhaphidura leucopygialis (Blyth, 1849)
Nomenclature
The silver-rumped spinetail, also called silver-rumped needletail, has the scientific name Rhaphidura leucopygialis (sometimes misspelled Raphidura leucopygialis). It is a species of swift belonging to the family Apodidae.
Distribution Range
This bird is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Thailand. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
Physiological Research
Research on this species has studied its use of facultative heterothermy, and even torpor, as a physiological mechanism to lower its metabolic rate and conserve energy within its tropical environment.
