What does the white-throated Needletail eat?

What is the scientific name for a white throat needletail?

The white-throated needletail was first described by the English ornithologist John Latham in 1801 under the binomial name Hirundo caudacuta. Their current genus Hirundapus is constructed from the names of the swallow genus Hirundo and the swift genus Apus.

Do white throated needletails Hunt in flocks?

White-throated Needletails are usually observed hunting in flocks, often of about 50-100 birds, above forest or woodland . Only in rainy weather, in particularly near approaching storms, they are found hawking for insects above more open country, e.g. in open farmland with scattered trees.

What does the white-throated needletail eat?

The White-throated Needletail feeds on flying insects, such as termites, ants, beetles and flies. They catch the insects in flight in their wide gaping beaks.

Do white-throated needletails roost in trees?

White-throated Needletails often occur in large numbers over eastern and northern Australia. White-throated Needletails are aerial birds and for a time it was commonly believed that they did not land while in Australia. It has now been observed that birds will roost in trees, and radio-tracking has since confirmed that this is a regular activity.

What is a whitethroat?

The whitethroat is a medium-sized warbler, about the size of a great tit. It has quite a long tail which it flicks and cocks as it darts rapidly in and out of cover.

What does a white throated needletail bird look like?

The plumage of the White-throated Needletail is predominantly grey-brown, glossed with green and the wings are long and pointed. The tail is short and square, with the protruding feather shafts giving a spiky appearance. The throat and undertail are white.

What is the color of a thriving throat?

Throat is white with yellow patch, breast and undertail are yellow, sides and belly are white with a gray wash. Head has rufous crown patch, bold white eye-rings.

Do white throated needletails roost in trees?

White-throated Needletails are aerial birds and for a time it was commonly believed that they did not land while in Australia. It has now been observed that birds will roost in trees, and radio-tracking has since confirmed that this is a regular activity.

What time of year do white throated needletails appear?

White-throated Needletails occur in Australia only between late spring and early autumn, but mostly in summer, when they sometimes form large flocks, appearing as a swirling cloud of birds. They have been seen catching flying insects at heights of more than a kilometre.

Why are there no whitethroats in the UK?

A drought in the western Sahel region of Africa in 1968 caused a 90% drop in the number of whitethroats breeding in the UK. Numbers are yet to fully recover from this crash according to the British Trust for Ornithology. Where do whitethroats live?

What do whitethroats look like?

What do whitethroats look like? As the name suggests, a clear white throat is the key distinguishing feature of this otherwise grey-brown bird. Males have a grey head and a more prominent throat patch than females, which have a brownish head. Whitethroats are roughly the size of a great tit and have a long, flicking tail.

What is a whitethroat’s habitat?

The Common Whitethroat is common in a wide variety of habitats from coastal lowlands to mountains. It frequents sunny areas with bushes, shrubs and grassy patches, hedges, thickets, woodland clearings and edges, and heathland. It usually avoids densely vegetated areas and closed woodlands.

Is the whitethroat on the Red List?

Classified in the UK as Amber under the Birds of Conservation Concern 5: the Red List for Birds (2021). The whitethroat is a medium-sized, long-tailed warbler of grassland, scrub and hedgerows. It is a summer visitor and passage migrant, breeding in many areas, but avoiding urban and mountainous places.

What is the maximum speed of a white-throated needletail?

The white-throated needletail ( Hirundapus caudacutus ), also known as needle-tailed swift or spine-tailed swift, is a large swift in the genus Hirundapus. It is reputed to reach speeds of up to 170 km/h (105 mph) in horizontal flight, but this is unverified because the methods used to measure its speed have not…

What does a white throated needletail look like?

White-throated needletail. They measure about 20 cm and weigh between 110 and 120 grams. They are greyish-brown except for a white throat and a white patch, extending from the base of the tail to the flanks. Needle-tailed swifts get their name from the spined end of their tail, which is not forked as it is in the typical swifts of the genus Apus .

What is the purpose of malar stripes on a bird’s throat?

Malar stripes may frame the throat as well, helping set it off from the rest of a bird’s body. For many birds, the chin and throat have similar colors and markings.

What does a bird’s throat look like?

Throat: A bird’s throat may be a different color from its surrounding plumage, or it may be marked with spots, streaks or lines. Malar stripes may frame the throat as well, helping set it off from the rest of a bird’s body.

Where do white throated needletails lay their eggs?

White-throated Needletails are non-breeding migrants in Australia. Breeding takes place in northern Asia. The eggs are laid on a platform sticks placed in a hollow or similar crevice high in a tall conifer.

When do white-throated needletails come to Australia?

White-throated Needletails arrive in Australia from their breeding grounds in the northern hemisphere in about October each year and leave somewhere between May and August. What does it do? The White-throated Needletail feeds on flying insects, such as termites, ants, beetles and flies. They catch the insects in flight in their wide gaping beaks.

Did you know that male whitethroats arrive in the UK earlier than females?

Did you know? Male whitethroats arrive in the UK about 10 days earlier than females in order to set up territories before their potential partners arrive. The Wildlife Trusts manage many grassland nature reserves for the benefit of the wildlife they support.

Where do whitethroats come from?

Whitethroats are summer migrants to the UK, flying all the way from sub-Saharan Africa and Asia to breed here. The first birds tend to arrive in April, with the last leaving by early October. It’s possible that the behaviour of migratory birds like whitethroats is being affected by climate change.

What is a lesser whitethroat?

The lesser whitethroat is a fairly secretive warbler which lives in areas of scrub and hedges. It’s found in England, Wales and southern Scotland, but absent from upland areas.

How long do whitethroats live for?

Whitethroats typically live for just two years, but the oldest bird recorded in the UK was nearly eight years old. How do whitethroats breed? A nest is constructed within the cover of bushes, shrubs and other lower vegetation.