The Brown-backed Needletail is a large swift with powerful flight and broad wings. Its subspecies have different ranges.
It is dark brown with a white horseshoe-shaped mark across the lower flanks and undertail. Needle-like shafts project from the tail tip, and the sexes look alike.
It feeds in the air and passes over forests and open areas while moving. It may fly with other needletails.
The black-brown upperparts have a pale brown saddle; the throat is dark brown and the chin somewhat paler.
The subspecies indicus has a prominent white spot in front of the eye.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.