Papuan Needletail
Mearnsia novaeguineae
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderApodiformes (Swifts and Hummingbirds)
- FamilyApodidae (Swifts)
- GenusMearnsia (Papuan and Philippine Spinetails)
- SpeciesMearnsia novaeguineae (Papuan Needletail)
About the Papuan Needletail
The Papuan spinetail (Mearnsia novaeguineae), also known as the Papuan needletail, New Guinea spine-tailed swift or Papuan spine-tailed swift, is a species of swift native to the island of New Guinea. Mearnsia novaeguineae is a small (11.5 cm in length), stocky swift with a short, rounded tail. Tail spines extend up to 1 mm beyond the web of the tail. Head and upperparts glossy green-black, grey-throat with a white underside. Wings display hooked ends, and are widest at the middle before tapering into the body.
Endemic to New Guinea where it is widespread in the lowlands and hills up to 550 m. In 2004, the species was first recorded in Australia when three individuals were observed on Boigu Island, Queensland. Forest edges, gardens and cleared areas with standing dead trees.
Flying insects. Nests in high tree hollows, and may partially construct nest out of dry palm fibres. Common and widespread species assessed as being of Least Concern, though population size appears to be decreasing. Beehler, Bruce M.; & Finch, Brian W. (1985). Species Checklist of the Birds of New... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Raja Ampat
Glossy Swiftlet
Collocalia esculenta
Uniform Swiftlet
Aerodramus vanikorensis
Pacific Swift
Apus pacificus
White-throated Needletail
Hirundapus caudacutus
Mountain Swiftlet
Aerodramus hirundinaceus
Moustached Treeswift
Hemiprocne mystacea
Wallace's Owlet-nightjar
Aegotheles wallacii
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raja Ampat | 🇮🇩 Indonesia |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Papuan Needletail in Raja Ampat?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Papuan Needletail sighting in Raja Ampat, based on 52 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Papuan Needletail in Raja Ampat?
October has the highest sighting rate for Papuan Needletail in Raja Ampat in our monthly data.