Swifts (Apodidae)
White-throated Needletail (Hirundapus caudacutus) - HBW 5, p. 440
French: Martinet épineux
German: Stachelschwanzsegler
Spanish: Vencejo Mongol
Other common names: White-throated Spinetail/Spinetailed Swift, (Northern) Spine-tailed Swift, Needle-tailed Swift, Northern Needletail
Taxonomy: Hirundo caudacuta Latham, 1801, New South Wales, Australia.
Genus formerly merged into Chaetura. Forms superspecies with H. cochinchinensis, with which in past sometimes considered conspecific. H. cochinchinensis formosanus formerly placed in present species, but has been shown to be virtually identical to nominate race of H. cochinchinensis, to which it clearly belongs. Two subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- caudacutus (Latham, 1801) - C Siberia E to Japan and Kuril Is; winters in S New Guinea and E Australia.
- nudipes (Hodgson, 1837) - Himalayas, irregularly from N Pakistan E to Assam; Arunachal Pradesh through N Myanmar to SC China (Sichuan to Yunnan).
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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Two birds flying. Locality Vostretsovo, Primorsky Krai, Eastern Russia, Russia (ssp caudacutus)
Josep del Hoyo 12 June 2009 2 years ago 37 sec 2.6
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In the Austral Summer this species flies low over ridges, occasionally allowing photos.
Locality Armstrong Creek, Queensland, Australia (ssp caudacutus)
Tom Tarrant 11 January 2009 3 years ago 3.3 -
One of many that were hawking low over a road.
Locality Tambun, Dumoga Bone (Bogani Nani Wartabone) National Park, North Sulawesi, Sulawesi (Monotypic species)
David Beadle 12 October 2011 23 weeks ago 3
- No sound recordings available yet
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