Lesser Antillean Swift vs Black Spinetail

Chaetura martinica مقارنةً بـ Telacanthura melanopygia

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Side-by-Side Comparison

السمة Lesser Antillean Swift Black Spinetail
الاسم العلمي Chaetura martinica Telacanthura melanopygia
الرتبة Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
الفصيلة Apodidae Apodidae
حالة الحفاظ Least Concern Least Concern
الطول
طول الجناح 21,6 cm (8.5 in) 32,4 cm (12.8 in)
الوزن 12,6 g (0.44 oz) 52,0 g (1.83 oz)
النظام الغذائي Aerial insectivore taking small flying insects and spiders; may forage at great heights following thermal … High-speed aerial insectivore catching small flying insects and aerial spiders during fast sustained flight.
عدد البيض في الوضع 3 --
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

الموائل المشتركة

Lesser Antillean Swift only

بلا

Black Spinetail only

بلا

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Song & Call Comparison

Lesser Antillean Swift

الغناء

Sharp, high-pitched squeaking in rapid succession; excited twittering with melodic inflection rising near breeding colony.

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

Lesser Antillean Swift

Found in the Lesser Antilles from Guadeloupe and Dominica south to St. Vincent and Grenada. Resident in forest and open areas.

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

Lesser Antillean Swift

Least Concern

Black Spinetail

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How to Tell Them Apart

Lesser Antillean Swift

الريش

Small; dark sooty-brown overall; pale grey-brown rump slightly paler than back; underparts grey-brown; short spiny tail; Lesser Antilles endemic; very similar to Chapman's Swift but smaller and island-restricted with subtly …

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

Lesser Antillean Swift

A small swift (11 cm) endemic to the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean. Dark plumage with a grey rump. Spine-tipped tail. Aerial insectivore, foraging over forested mountains and volcanic peaks. Found on Dominica, Martinique, Guadeloupe, and St. Lucia.

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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