Silver-backed Needletail (Hirundapus cochinchinensis)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Silver-backed Needletail

Hirundapus cochinchinensis (Oustalet, 1878)

≈21 cmLength84 gWeight

This swift inhabits subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest.

Busiest months: March · Most records: Vietnam, China, Thailand

Least Concern

How to identify

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: March · Most records: Vietnam, China, Thailand

Silver-backed Needletail has been recorded at 177 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 11 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Cat Tien NPVietnam181 records
  2. Khao Yai NPThailand100 records
  3. Dasyueshan IBA – Xiaoxueshan Lodge (50K)Taiwan (China)89 records
More places
  1. Khao Dinsor (Khao Dinso) / Chumphon Raptor CenterThailand83 records
  2. Cat Tien National Park – HQVietnam66 records
  3. Nantou – Meifeng Highland Experimental Farm of NTUTaiwan (China)59 records
  4. Kenting NP – Sheding Lingxiao Pavilion (Raptors Observation Spot)Taiwan (China)56 records
  5. Mang DenVietnam44 records
  6. Bukit Timah Nature ReserveSingapore33 records
  7. Tam Dao NPVietnam23 records

Countries and regions with the most records

VietnamChinaThailandCambodiaMalaysiaSingaporeIndiaNepal

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

Questions

How big is the Silver-backed Needletail?

The Silver-backed Needletail is about ≈21 cm long and weighs around 84 g.

Where does the Silver-backed Needletail live?

Its breeding range: Oriental: Himalayas from central Nepal to northern Myanmar, Hainan and Taiwan (China). It is most often recorded in Vietnam, China and Thailand.

When is the best time to see the Silver-backed Needletail?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in March (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Silver-backed Needletail endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Silver-backed Needletail as Least Concern.

What does the Silver-backed Needletail eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Silver-backed Needletail in?

It belongs to the family Swifts (Apodidae), order Apodiformes.

At a glance

Length
≈21 cm
Weight
84 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Feeds in the air
Migration
Migratory
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
183 mm
Tail
52 mm
Bill
12 mm
Tarsus
16 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Oriental: Himalayas from central Nepal to northern Myanmar, Hainan and Taiwan (China)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Swifts Apodidae
Genus
Hirundapus

Other birds in the genus Hirundapus

White-throated NeedletailWhite-throated NeedletailHirundapus caudacutusBrown-backed NeedletailBrown-backed NeedletailHirundapus giganteusPurple NeedletailPurple NeedletailHirundapus celebensisSpot-fronted SwiftSpot-fronted SwiftCypseloides cherrieiWhite-chinned SwiftWhite-chinned SwiftCypseloides cryptusWhite-fronted SwiftWhite-fronted SwiftCypseloides storeriSooty SwiftSooty SwiftCypseloides fumigatusRothschild's SwiftRothschild's SwiftCypseloides rothschildiAmerican Black SwiftAmerican Black SwiftCypseloides nigerWhite-chested SwiftWhite-chested SwiftCypseloides lemosi
Silver-backed Needletail

Download illustration

Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Shanda Huang. ↗

WebP · 1070 px

Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.

In other languages