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Birds of the Philippines

Photos and videos of wild birds found in the Philippines. We travel all over the Philippines to document and take pictures of birds. Our goal is to make this site a resource of information and images about wild birds of the Philippines.

  1. Birds of the Philippines
  2. Swifts

Brown-backed Needletail

BROWN-BACKED NEEDLETAIL
Hirundapus giganteus
Family Apodidae

Bird # 361 - September 2012
L 240 mm (8 1/2")
resident, uncommon

This is one of the larger member of the Apodidae family. It is slightly smaller than the more common Purple Needletail. Like the Purple Needletail, it has a distinctive white horseshoe pattern on its underside and "needles" on its tail. The Purple Needletail has white lores while the Brown-backed Needletail is brown all over.

These are speedy birds and according to the Kennedy guide "are considered by some to have the fastest average flying speed of any bird". The birds we photographed were a group of about 15 individuals that were continuously circling over a grassy field hawking insects.
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BROWN-BACKED NEEDLETAIL
<i>Hirundapus giganteus</i>
Narra, Palawan
10 / 12

BROWN-BACKED NEEDLETAIL Hirundapus giganteus Narra, Palawan

brown backed needletailresidentuncommonnarrapalawanhirundapus giganteusneedletailbirdphilippinestonjiandsylviabirdlistbird list

  • BROWN-BACKED NEEDLETAIL
<i>Hirundapus giganteus</i>
Narra, Palawan
  • BROWN-BACKED NEEDLETAIL
<i>Hirundapus giganteus</i>
Narra, Palawan

the tail feathers spread open
  • BROWN-BACKED NEEDLETAIL
<i>Hirundapus giganteus</i>
Narra, Palawan
  • BROWN-BACKED NEEDLETAIL
<i>Hirundapus giganteus</i>
Narra, Palawan
  • BROWN-BACKED NEEDLETAIL
<i>Hirundapus giganteus</i>
Narra, Palawan

bird showing its brown back
  • BROWN-BACKED NEEDLETAIL
<i>Hirundapus giganteus</i>
Narra, Palawan

note the feet
  • BROWN-BACKED NEEDLETAIL
<i>Hirundapus giganteus</i>
Narra, Palawan
  • BROWN-BACKED NEEDLETAIL
<i>Hirundapus giganteus</i>
Narra, Palawan
  • BROWN-BACKED NEEDLETAIL
<i>Hirundapus giganteus</i>
Narra, Palawan
  • BROWN-BACKED NEEDLETAIL
<i>Hirundapus giganteus</i>
Narra, Palawan
  • BROWN-BACKED NEEDLETAIL
<i>Hirundapus giganteus</i>
Narra, Palawan
  • BROWN-BACKED NEEDLETAIL
<i>Hirundapus giganteus</i>
Narra, Palawan
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