iWhite-naped Swift
Conservation status
Least Concern (LC)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Apodiformes Family: Apodidae Genus: Hirundapus Species: H. celebensis
Binomial name
Hirundapus celebensis (Sclater, 1865)

The Purple Needletail is the largest swift found in the Old World. This species is distributed from northeastern Sulawesi through the Philippine islands of Luzon, Mindoro, Marinduque, Catanduanes, Calayan, Panay, Negros, Cebu, Leyte, Biliran, Mindanao and Basilan. The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species continuing to survive. ... Image File history File links Status_iucn3. ... Least concern (LC) is an IUCN category assigned to species or lower taxa which do not qualify for any other category. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Phyla Subregnum Parazoa Porifera Subregnum Agnotozoa Placozoa Orthonectida Rhombozoa Subregnum Eumetazoa Radiata (unranked) Ctenophora Cnidaria Bilateria (unranked) Acoelomorpha Myxozoa Superphylum Deuterostomia Chordata Hemichordata Echinodermata Chaetognatha Superphylum Ecdysozoa Kinorhyncha Loricifera Priapulida Nematoda Nematomorpha Onychophora Tardigrada Arthropoda Superphylum Platyzoa Platyhelminthes Gastrotricha Rotifera Acanthocephala Gnathostomulida Micrognathozoa Cycliophora Superphylum Lophotrochozoa Sipuncula Nemertea Phoronida Bryozoa... {{{subdivision_ranks}}} See below Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates. ... Orders Many - see section below. ... Families Apodidae Hemiprocnidae Traditionally, the bird order Apodiformes contained three families: the swifts, Apodidae, the tree swifts, Hemiprocnidae, and the hummingbirds, Trochilidae. ... For other meanings of the word Swift see Swift (disambiguation). ... In biology, binomial nomenclature is the formal method of naming species. ... Philip Lutley Sclater (November 4, 1829 - June 27, 1913) was an English lawyer and zoologist. ... 1865 (MDCCCLXV) is a common year starting on Sunday. ... Genera Many; see text. ... The Old World consists of those parts of Earth known to Europeans before the voyages of Christopher Columbus; it includes Europe, Asia, and Africa (collectively known as Africa-Eurasia), plus surrounding islands. ... Sulawesi (formerly Celebes ) is a large island in Indonesia. ... Map of the Philippines showing the island groups of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. ... Beach in Northern Mindoro Mindoro is the seventh-largest island in the Philippines. ... Marinduque is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region in Luzon. ... Catanduanes is an island province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. ... Calayan is an island in the Philippines, one of the Babuyan Islands in the Luzon Strait north of Luzon island. ... Panay is an island in the Philippines located in the Visayas. ... Map of the Philippines showing the location of Negros. ... REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES Province of Cebu Region: Central Visayas (Region VII) Capital: Cebu City Founded: April 7, 1521 and April 27, 1565 Population: 2000 census—3,356,137 (largest) Density—660 per km² (6th highest) Area: 5,088. ... Leyte can refer to several things: Leyte, an island in the Phillipines, site of a major World War II battle Leyte Gulf, also in the Phillipines, and site of a WW II battle Leyte province, a province of the Phillipines, including most of Leyte island Southern Leyte, a province of... Biliran is one of the smallest provinces in the Philippines and it is located in the Eastern Visayas region. ... Map of the Philippines showing the island groups of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines and one of the three island groups in the country, with Luzon and Visayas being the other two. ... Basilan is an island province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). ...

This bird lives in various forests and open country. They may found in the lowlands or in hills, from 150-2000 m (500-6600 ft) high in elevation. Eucalyptus Forest at Swifts Creek in East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. ...

These are huge swifts, measuring on average about 25 cm (10 inches) long and weighing from 170 to 203 grams (6-7.2 oz). Only the White-naped Swift rival this species for size. The overall plumage is mostly uniform blackish, with a whitish loral marking. This species has the large size, white horseshoe-shaped underside-marking, and the subtly-needled tail typical of the needletails. Compared to other needletails, it is extremely dark and is the only one without a pale throat patch.

Few detailed descriptions of the life history of the Purple Needletail are known. It is a gregarious species, probably never leaving a group of at least 20 birds. The large size of these swifts is said to be apparent ever from a distance. It is believed to take any kind of large, flying insect; sometimes even hanging around bee-farms to pick off members of a hive. The breeding habits are unknown, although it is thought that this is a cave-nesting bird. The voice is also unknown. Orders See taxonomy Insects are invertebrates that are taxonomically referred to as the class Insecta. ... Families Andrenidae Apidae Colletidae Halictidae Megachilidae Melittidae Stenotritidae Bee collecting pollen Bees (a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila) are flying insects, closely related to wasps and ants. ...

The commonality of this species is not really known. They are thought to be scarce to uncommon through most of their range, but are not endangered and can be numerous in some parts of the Philippines.

References

• Chantler and Driessens, Swifts ISBN 1-873403-83-6