Pacific Swift vs Black Spinetail
Apus pacificus compared with Telacanthura melanopygia
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Pacific Swift | Black Spinetail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Apus pacificus | Telacanthura melanopygia |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 34.6 cm (13.6 in) | 32.4 cm (12.8 in) |
| Weight | 41.516666666666666 g (1.46 oz) | 52.0 g (1.83 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds aerially on tiny insects and spiders, often following weather fronts where aerial plankton concentrates. | High-speed aerial insectivore catching small flying insects and aerial spiders during fast sustained flight. |
| Clutch Size | 1-3 | -- |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Pacific Swift only
Black Spinetail only
None
Song & Call Comparison
Pacific Swift
Thin, reedy trill with nasal overtone; soft chattering notes delivered continuously during rapid low-level flight over fields.
Black Spinetail
Deep, resonant chattering with gravelly undertones; series of rough churring notes interspersed with sharp screaming calls.
Geographic Range & Migration
Pacific Swift
Breeds from Siberia and Japan south to China and the Himalayas. Long-distance migrant wintering in Southeast Asia and Australia.
Black Spinetail
Found in West and Central Africa from Nigeria and Cameroon east to Uganda. Resident in lowland rainforest and forest edge.
Conservation Status
Pacific Swift
Black Spinetail
How to Tell Them Apart
Pacific Swift
Dark blackish-brown upperparts; distinctive white rump patch contrasting with dark back; white throat patch; underparts dark with pale brown barring; deeply forked tail; white rump distinguishes it from Common Swift …
Black Spinetail
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 …
About These Birds
Pacific Swift
A medium-sized swift (17-18 cm) found across eastern Asia from Siberia to Australia. Dark plumage with a white rump patch and deeply forked tail. Aerial insectivore. A long-distance migrant, breeding in Asia and wintering in Southeast Asia and Australasia.
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.