Text extracted from Gill B.J.; Bell, B.D.; Chambers, G.K.; Medway, D.G.; Palma, R.L.; Scofield, R.P.; Tennyson, A.J.D.; Worthy, T.H. 2010. Checklist of the of New Zealand, Norfolk and Macquarie Islands, and the Ross Dependency, Antarctica. 4th edition. Wellington, Te Papa Press and Ornithological Society of New Zealand. Pages 269-270.

Order : Swifts, Hummingbirds and Owlet-nightjars The monophyly of the Caprimulgiformes has long been questioned, as reviewed by Mayr (2002). That Aegotheles does not belong in this order was clearly stated in a generally overlooked study of cranial morphology (Simonetta 1967), in which Aegotheles was found to be more closely related to basal or primitive apodids than to caprimulgids. The differences were so profound that Simonetta erected Aegothelae for the (Simonetta 1967: 31). Sibley et al. (1988) also placed Aegotheles at subordinal level, based on DNA evidence, calling the group Aegotheli, apparently unaware of Simonetta’s name (1967). Recent osteological and genetic studies (e.g. Mayr 2002, 2005; Mayr et al. 2003; Barrowclough et al. 2006) provide overwhelming evidence that the Caprimulgiformes (sensu del Hoyo et al. 1999) is paraphyletic, and that Aegothelidae forms a clade with Apodiformes—Hemiprocnidae and Apodidae (swifts) and Trochilidae (hummingbirds)—outside the other members of Caprimulgiformes. Many additional studies (reviewed by Sangster 2005) have supported this relationship. Sangster (2005) gave the non-Linnaean name Daedalornithes for the clade of Apodiformes and Aegotheles, however the relationship can be as easily accommodated by transferring Aegothelae to the Apodiformes (Barrowclough et al. 2006), which suggestion we follow here.

Suborder APODI: Swifts and Treeswifts Family APODIDAE Olphe-Galliard: Swifts Subfamily Olphe-Galliard: , Spinetails and Typical Swifts Apodidae Olphe-Galliard, 1887: Contrib. Faune Ornith. Europe Occidentale 22: 90 – Type genus Scopoli, 1777.

Order of species follows Christidis & Boles (1994, 2008) and Schodde (1997c).

Tribe CHAETURINI: Needletails Chaetureae Bonaparte, 1857: Rivista Contemporanea, Torino 9: 212 – Type genus Stephens, 1826.

Genus Hodgson Hirundapus Hodgson, 1837: Journ. Asiatic Soc. Bengal 5: 780 – Type species (by original designation) Hirundapus nudipes Hodgson = Hirundapus caudacutus nudipes Hodgson.

Hirundapus caudacutus (Latham) White-throated Needletail Breeds from western Siberia east to Japan and south to Taiwan, Burma and the Himalayas. Two subspecies. Nominate race a long-distance migrant to New Guinea and Australia. Also called the spine- tailed .

Hirundapus caudacutus caudacutus (Latham) White-throated Needletail caudacuta Latham, 1802: Index Ornith. Suppl.: lvii – “Nova Hollandia”, restricted to New South Wales, Australia (fide Schodde 1997, Zool. Cat. Australia 37.2: 341). Choetura [sic] caudacuta (Latham); Buller 1905, Suppl. Birds N.Z. 1: 95. Chaetura caudacuta caudacuta (Latham); Mathews & Iredale 1913, Ibis 1 (10th ser.): 428. Hirundapus caudacutus caudacutus (Latham); Checklist Committee 1990, Checklist Birds N.Z.: 188. Hirundapus caudacutus (Latham); Moore 1999, Notornis 46: 363.

Breeds from western Siberia and Mongolia to Sakhalin, Kurile Islands, Manchuria and Japan. Migrates through China to winter in New Guinea, Australia and Tasmania from Oct. to Mar. / Apr. Straggler to New Zealand: many records from 1888 (mainly between Nov. and Apr.), mostly in the North Island but as far south as the Snares Islands / Tini Heke; also Chatham Islands (Scofield 2005a, Miskelly et al. 2006). Irruptions noted in some years (1942–43, 1968–69; e.g. McCaskill 1943). Vagrant to Macquarie Island (e.g. Jan. 1960; Warham 1961). Irregular migrant on Norfolk Island (Schodde et al. 1983).