Horus Swift vs Black Spinetail

Apus horus مقارنةً بـ Telacanthura melanopygia

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Side-by-Side Comparison

السمة Horus Swift Black Spinetail
الاسم العلمي Apus horus Telacanthura melanopygia
الرتبة Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
الفصيلة Apodidae Apodidae
حالة الحفاظ Least Concern Least Concern
الطول
طول الجناح 30,0 cm (11.8 in) 32,4 cm (12.8 in)
الوزن 27,5 g (0.97 oz) 52,0 g (1.83 oz)
النظام الغذائي Feeds on aerial plankton of tiny insects and spiders; entire diet captured during non-stop aerial … High-speed aerial insectivore catching small flying insects and aerial spiders during fast sustained flight.
عدد البيض في الوضع 1-4 --
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

الموائل المشتركة

بلا

Horus Swift only

بلا

Black Spinetail only

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Song & Call Comparison

Horus Swift

الغناء

Sharp, buzzy chip followed by short descending whistle; compact two-part call repeated persistently from elevated perch.

Black Spinetail

الغناء

Deep, resonant chattering with gravelly undertones; series of rough churring notes interspersed with sharp screaming calls.

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Geographic Range & Migration

Horus Swift

Found across sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal east to Ethiopia and south to South Africa. Resident in woodland and grassland near rivers.

Black Spinetail

Found in West and Central Africa from Nigeria and Cameroon east to Uganda. Resident in lowland rainforest and forest edge.

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حالة الحفاظ

Least Concern

Horus Swift

Least Concern

Black Spinetail

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How to Tell Them Apart

Horus Swift

الريش

Dark sooty-brown; large white rump patch; white throat; pale flanks creating partial white underpart; square-ended tail; African species; compared to Little Swift, paler flanks give a more extensively white underpart …

Black Spinetail

الريش

Large; entirely black plumage with slight gloss; black rump unlike white-rumped congeners; underparts dark; spiny tail; West African forest species; all-black coloration with no contrasting markings distinguishes it from all …

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About These Birds

Horus Swift

A small swift (12-13 cm) found in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of the Middle East. Dark plumage with a white rump and throat. Aerial insectivore. Colonial nester on cliffs and buildings. Often nests in old swallow nests. Named after the Egyptian god Horus.

Black Spinetail

A medium-sized spinetail swift (14-15 cm) of lowland rainforests in West and Central Africa. All-dark plumage. Spine-tipped tail for bracing against tree trunks. Aerial insectivore, foraging above the forest canopy. Nests inside hollow trees. Uncommon and seldom observed.

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