White-throated Needletail
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Habitat and behaviour
Habitat: Open sky, cliffs (extreme vagrant).
Diet: Flying insects.
Best time to spot: Huge Asian swift; very fast flier.
When to look
A rare visitor, not a resident. There is no dependable season, though most rarities are found during spring and autumn migration. More on the season in Rare birds in the UK.
How rare is it?
The White-throated Needletail sits in our Legendary tier for the UK: a major rarity, where any record is big news. It is not on the Red or Amber lists in Birds of Conservation Concern 5.
Recent UK sightings
No community sightings logged for this species yet. Log the first one.
Similar birds
- Blue-cheeked Bee-eaterLegendary · Open country (extreme vagrant)
- Chimney SwiftLegendary · Open sky (extreme vagrant)
- Crag MartinLegendary · Cliffs
- Pacific SwiftLegendary · Open sky (extreme vagrant)
- American KestrelLegendary · Open country (extreme vagrant)
- Amur FalconLegendary · Open country (extreme vagrant)
Kit that helps
Best spotting scopes for UK birding. Affiliate links, our own picks, no extra cost to you.
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