Purple Needletail

The purple needletail (Hirundapus celebensis), or hagibas in Tagalog, is arguably the largest swift in the world . It is native to the Philippine archipelago and the Minahasa Peninsula (Sulawesi). The bird is a huge swift, measuring on average about 25 cm (9.8 in) long and weighing from 170 to 203 g (6.0 to 7.2 oz), with an average of 180 g (6.3 oz) in one study of 22 unsexed adult birds. (Wikipedia, general species account).

The wingspan can range up to 60 cm (24 in), with a wing chord length of 20.3 to 23.4 cm (8.0 to 9.2 in). It is a gregarious species, probably never leaving a group of at least 20 birds. They may be found in the lowlands or in hills, from 150–2,000 m (490–6,560 ft) high in elevation. Only the related brown-backed needletail of Southeast Asia and the white-naped swift of Central America rival this species for size and wingspan, with the latter averaging 5 g (0.18 oz) less than this needletail in weight. (Wikipedia, general species account).