SPECIES: Hirundapus caudacutus — White-throated Needletail
CLASSIFICATION: Vulnerable
Capable of reaching speeds of up to 170km/h(!!!), the White-throated Needletail is a migratory bird, greyish brown with a white throat and white patch extending from the base of the tail and quite a barrel-like body. They build their nests in rock crevices in cliffs or hollow trees but tend to spend most of their time in the air, preferring to stay off the ground.
Outside of breeding season, the White-throated Needletail migrates mainly to Australia and is found widespread in eastern and south-eastern Australia. There is currently no published estimate of the world population, it simply has not been a species that has been surveyed.