Scientific Name: Rhaphidura leucopygialis
Malay Name: Layang-layang Ekor-Pendek Melayu
Chinese Name: 银腰针尾雨燕
Range:
Found from the Thai-Malay Peninsula to the Greater Sundas comprising Sumatra, Java and Borneo.
Taxonomy:
Monotypic.
Size: 11 cm
Identification:
Smaller than the other migratory Needletail species but still look robust with all blackish underparts, dark bluish gloss upperparts, prominent silvery-white lower back, rump and uppertail-coverts, short square-cut tail, very broad paddle-shaped wings and bare shafts (spines) extending from tail-tip. Juvenile has less glossy underparts.
Similar looking species: White-throated Needletail, Silver-backed Needletail, Brown-backed Needletail
Habitat: Broadleaved evergreen forest and clearings.
Behaviour/Ecology: Roosts in large tree hollows in the emergent canopy.
Local Status: Very rare non-breeding visitor
Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2016)
Location: Central Catchment Forest, Poyan and Changi.
Photos:
External Links:
Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page
Photos: Oriental Bird Images
Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link
Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link
References:
BirdLife International. (2016). Rhaphidura leucopygialis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. Downloaded on 2 September 2021
Robson, C. (2008). A Field Guide to the Birds of South-East Asia. New Holland Publishers.