Brown-backed Needletail vs Chestnut-collared Swift
Hirundapus giganteus compared with Streptoprocne rutila
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Brown-backed Needletail | Chestnut-collared Swift |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Hirundapus giganteus | Streptoprocne rutila |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 40.6 cm (16.0 in) | 26.0 cm (10.2 in) |
| Weight | 145.0 g (5.11 oz) | 21.8 g (0.77 oz) |
| Diet | Aerial insectivore feeding on tiny flies, beetles, and ballooning spiders in rapid powerful aerial pursuit. | Entirely airborne feeder on tiny flies, gnats, and airborne arachnids; one of the most aerial … |
| Clutch Size | 3-5 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Brown-backed Needletail
Rough, buzzy chatter with intermittent higher squeaks; coarse twittering delivered continuously throughout aerial foraging.
Chestnut-collared Swift
High, screaming trill; rapid 'scree-scree' in flight; shrill and penetrating; calls over Neotropical mountains and canyon edges; alarm a rapid screeching chatter
Geographic Range & Migration
Brown-backed Needletail
Found from India and Sri Lanka through Southeast Asia to Borneo and the Philippines. Resident in lowland and hill forest, soaring over ridges.
Chestnut-collared Swift
Found from Mexico and the Caribbean south through Central America and South America to Argentina. Resident in highlands near mountain cliffs.
Conservation Status
Brown-backed Needletail
Chestnut-collared Swift
How to Tell Them Apart
Brown-backed Needletail
Very large; dark brown upperparts with bronze gloss; no pale back saddle unlike congeners; white throat patch; white undertail coverts; short spiny tail; largest Hirundapus; brown rather than black overall …
Chestnut-collared Swift
Dark blackish-brown body with diagnostic rich chestnut collar encircling entire neck; collar bold and complete; underparts slightly paler brown; small swift with striking warm-toned neck band contrasting vividly with dark …
About These Birds
Brown-backed Needletail
A very large needletail swift (22-25 cm), the largest swift in Asia. Dark brown plumage with a paler brown back. Spine-tipped tail. Found in montane forests from India to Southeast Asia. Aerial insectivore with powerful flight. Often seen soaring over mountain ridges.
Chestnut-collared Swift
A small swift (13-14 cm) found from Mexico through Central America and South America to Bolivia and Brazil. Dark plumage with a distinctive chestnut collar and throat. Aerial insectivore, often foraging in mixed-species swift flocks over forests and highlands.