Swifts (Apodidae)
Brown-backed Needletail (Hirundapus giganteus) - HBW 5, p. 440
French: Martinet géant
German: Eilsegler
Spanish: Vencejo Gigante
Other common names: Brown/Giant (Brown) Needletail, Brown/Brown-throated Spinetail/Spinetailed Swift
Taxonomy: Cypselus giganteus Temminck, 1825, Java.
Genus formerly merged into Chaetura. Forms superspecies with H. celebensis, with which in past sometimes considered conspecific. A single specimen from W Java, previously separated as form ernsti and variously treated as a distinct species or a race of present species, now synonymized with H. cochinchinensis cochinchinensis. Two subspecies normally recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- indicus (Hume, 1873) - SW India and Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh E into SE Asia, and Andaman Is.
- giganteus (Temminck, 1825) - Malay Peninsula, Greater Sundas and Palawan (SW Philippines).
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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A group of bird circling the sky. Locality Pang Sida National Park, South Eastern Thailand, Thailand (ssp indicus)
Yoel Jimenez 21 February 2012 7 weeks ago 26 sec 3 -
An individual in flight. Locality Seima Biodiversity Conservation Area, Mondulkiri Province, Cambodia (ssp indicus)
Josep del Hoyo 13 March 2011 38 weeks ago 20 sec 2.7 -
one (part of a group of around 20) hawking over fields, then flying close overhead Locality Chidiya Tapu Biological Park, South Andaman, Andaman Islands, Andaman and Nicobar (ssp indicus)
Martin Kennewell 27 December 2007 2 years ago 14 sec 2.5
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A bird flying
Locality Po Toi Island, Po Toi islands, Hong Kong
LouisCheung 24 March 2012 9 weeks ago 3.5 -
A bird in flight.
Locality Seima Biodiversity Conservation Area, Mondulkiri Province, Cambodia (ssp indicus)
Josep del Hoyo 13 March 2011 37 weeks ago 1.8
- No sound recordings available yet
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