African Palm Swift vs Philippine Spinetail

Cypsiurus parvus مقارنةً بـ Mearnsia picina

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Side-by-Side Comparison

السمة African Palm Swift Philippine Spinetail
الاسم العلمي Cypsiurus parvus Mearnsia picina
الرتبة Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
الفصيلة Apodidae Apodidae
حالة الحفاظ Least Concern Near Threatened
الطول
طول الجناح 27,2 cm (10.7 in) 32,3 cm (12.7 in)
الوزن 14,38 g (0.51 oz) 11,5 g (0.41 oz)
النظام الغذائي Exclusively aerial diet; consumes tiny flying insects and spiders, sometimes following insect swarms for km. Aerial diet of small flying insects and spiders; forages at speed over forest and open …
عدد البيض في الوضع 1-3 --
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

الموائل المشتركة

African Palm Swift only

Philippine Spinetail only

بلا

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Song & Call Comparison

African Palm Swift

الغناء

Deep, hollow churring trill with resonant bass quality; prolonged vibrating call audible at significant range in open woodland.

Philippine Spinetail

الغناء

High-pitched, buzzy twittering; sharp 'tsit-tsit' in fast low-level flight over Philippine forest; calls rapidly in tight flocks; distinctive wing sound in fast aerial display

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Geographic Range & Migration

African Palm Swift

Found across sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal east to Somalia and south to South Africa. Common in open areas near palms; nests in palm leaves.

Philippine Spinetail

Endemic to the Philippines, found on Mindanao and adjacent southern islands. Resident in lowland and hill forest and edge. Uncommon.

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حالة الحفاظ

Least Concern

African Palm Swift

Near Threatened

Philippine Spinetail

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How to Tell Them Apart

African Palm Swift

الريش

Slender and long-tailed; uniformly pale greyish-brown overall; underparts paler grey-buff; long deeply forked tail; pale uniform appearance with no contrasting markings; widespread African palm-nesting swift with distinctive slender silhouette.

Philippine Spinetail

الريش

Tiny but long-winged; dark blackish-brown overall; pale grey-white throat and chin; short spiny tail projections visible at close range; Philippine endemic; small size contrasts with proportionally very long scythe-like wings.

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About These Birds

African Palm Swift

A slender swift (15-17 cm) with long, narrow wings and a deeply forked tail. Dark brown plumage. Found across sub-Saharan Africa in savanna and open woodland, closely associated with palm trees. Aerial insectivore. One of Africa's most abundant swift species.

Philippine Spinetail

A large spinetail swift (12-13 cm) endemic to the Philippines. Dark plumage with short, spine-tipped tail feathers. Aerial insectivore, foraging over lowland and montane forest. Colonial nester in tree hollows and cliff crevices. Uncommon and poorly studied.

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