White-throated Needletail

The white-throated needletail is a very large, powerfully built swift about 20 cm long and weighing 110–120 g. Its barrel-shaped body is grey-brown, with a clean white throat and a second white patch wrapping from the undertail onto the rear flanks. Long, narrow wings and a short square tail tipped by stiff projecting shafts suit extremely fast flight. The bright throat distinguishes it from silver-backed and brown-backed needletails (Wikipedia, general species account; Bird Society of Singapore).

It breeds from Central Asia and southern Siberia eastward and migrates to wintering areas in South and Southeast Asia and Australia. Birds spend most daylight hours in the air over forest, hills, wetlands and open country, catching beetles, flies, bees, moths and other flying insects. They may feed socially with other swifts. Nest sites are placed in rock crevices on cliffs or within hollow trees, where adults cling to vertical surfaces using their short feet (Wikipedia, general species account).