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Brown-backed Needletail

Swifts & Treeswifts

Hirundapus giganteus

Basic stats

Diet

Flying insects

Habitat

High above forest canopy

Range

South and Southeast Asia

Clutch size

2–3 eggs (typical for needletails)

Incubation period

About 25–28 days (typical for needletails)

Size

Large swift (22–24cm)

Wingspan

~50–55cm

Weight

~110–150g

One of the largest and fastest swifts in the region, with a heavy body, short tail and a pale throat patch, capable of very high-speed flight.

Feeds on flying insects high above the forest canopy, often in mixed flocks with other swifts, and rarely seen at rest given a near-continuously airborne lifestyle.

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