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: Former resident and very rare visitor
Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2016)
Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page
Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link
Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link
eBird Species page: eBird (Silver-rumped Needletail)
References:
BirdLife International. (2016). Rhaphidura leucopygialis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22686661A93120578.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023
Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.
RECOMMENDED CITATION
Singapore Birds Project. (n.d.). Silver-rumped Spinetail. Retrieved on May 31, 2023 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/silver-rumped-spinetail.