Short-tailed Swift vs Black Spinetail
Chaetura brachyura compared with Telacanthura melanopygia
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Short-tailed Swift | Black Spinetail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chaetura brachyura | Telacanthura melanopygia |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 23.7 cm (9.3 in) | 32.4 cm (12.8 in) |
| Weight | 18.625 g (0.66 oz) | 52.0 g (1.83 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds exclusively on aerial plankton — tiny flies, aphids, and spiders — captured in continuous … | High-speed aerial insectivore catching small flying insects and aerial spiders during fast sustained flight. |
| Clutch Size | 2-7 | -- |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Short-tailed Swift
Harsh, screaming chatter with emphatic delivery; loud coarse notes erupting suddenly during competitive aerial encounters.
Black Spinetail
Deep, resonant chattering with gravelly undertones; series of rough churring notes interspersed with sharp screaming calls.
Geographic Range & Migration
Short-tailed Swift
Found across South America east of the Andes, from Trinidad and the Guianas south to Bolivia and the Río de la Plata. Lowland forest.
Black Spinetail
Found in West and Central Africa from Nigeria and Cameroon east to Uganda. Resident in lowland rainforest and forest edge.
Conservation Status
Short-tailed Swift
Black Spinetail
How to Tell Them Apart
Short-tailed Swift
Small; dark sooty-brown upperparts; very pale whitish rump and tail contrasting sharply with dark body; underparts pale greyish; extremely short tail giving distinctive blunt-ended flight silhouette; widespread Trinidad to Argentina.
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
Short-tailed Swift
A small swift (10-11 cm) found in lowland forests from Panama to southern Brazil and Trinidad. Dark plumage with a noticeably short, square tail with spine tips. Aerial insectivore, foraging over forest canopy and clearings. The smallest member of the genus Chaetura.
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.