The purple needletail, or hagibas in Tagalog, is the largest swift found in the Old World. It is native to the Philippine archipelago and the Minahasa Peninsula (Sulawesi).
Region
Southeast Asia
Typical Environment
Occurs across much of the Philippines (including Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao) and in northern Sulawesi, especially the Minahasa Peninsula. It frequents forested mountains and foothills, often coursing over ridgelines, valleys, and forest edges. Birds also range above lowland forests, clearings, and agricultural mosaics when insect activity is high. Roosting and nesting are associated with large emergent trees or cliffs in or near intact forest.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also known as hagibis in Tagalog, the purple needletail is a powerful, barrel-chested swift that spends nearly all of its time on the wing. It is native to the Philippine archipelago and the Minahasa Peninsula of northern Sulawesi. Like other needletails, it has stiff, spine-tipped tail feathers that aid maneuverability near cliffs and trees. It often appears during termite and ant emergences, when large aerial swarms form.
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
very fast, powerful flight with rapid wingbeats and long, direct glides
Social Behavior
Often forages in small to medium flocks, sometimes joining mixed-species swift assemblies over ridges and forest canopies. Breeds in small colonies or loose aggregations, using cavities in large trees or natural crevices on cliffs. Pairs are monogamous during the breeding season and defend the immediate nest site.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations are high, thin twitters and sharp, squeaky chittering exchanged during aerial foraging and social flights. Calls can intensify over nesting areas or when birds gather around insect swarms.
Plumage
Mostly dark, glossy sooty-brown with a purplish sheen, especially on the upperparts; underparts slightly duller. Wings long and scythe-shaped; tail short with stiff spine-tipped feathers.
Diet
Feeds almost entirely on flying insects, including ants, termites, beetles, flies, and other aerial arthropods. It catches prey on the wing with its wide gape, often above the canopy or along ridgelines where updrafts concentrate insects. It takes advantage of mass emergences, especially after rain, when it may gather in larger numbers.
Preferred Environment
Typically hunts over forested slopes, valleys, and edges, as well as above clearings and adjacent agricultural areas. It often uses orographic lift along hills and cliffs to patrol for aerial prey.
