Chimney Swift vs Black Spinetail
Chaetura pelagica compared with Telacanthura melanopygia
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Chimney Swift | Black Spinetail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chaetura pelagica | Telacanthura melanopygia |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Vulnerable | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 24.9 cm (9.8 in) | 32.4 cm (12.8 in) |
| Weight | 22.666666666666668 g (0.80 oz) | 52.0 g (1.83 oz) |
| Diet | Aerial forager on tiny insects and wind-dispersed spiders; forages near water surfaces where insects concentrate. | 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
Chimney Swift
Rapid, liquid twittering with bright cheerful quality; chi-chi-chi staccato notes carrying well across open sky at dusk.
Black Spinetail
Deep, resonant chattering with gravelly undertones; series of rough churring notes interspersed with sharp screaming calls.
Geographic Range & Migration
Chimney Swift
Breeds in eastern North America from Canada south to Texas. Long-distance migrant wintering in the upper Amazon basin of Peru and Brazil.
Black Spinetail
Found in West and Central Africa from Nigeria and Cameroon east to Uganda. Resident in lowland rainforest and forest edge.
Conservation Status
Chimney Swift
Black Spinetail
How to Tell Them Apart
Chimney Swift
Small; uniformly dark sooty-grey overall with slightly paler grey throat and chin; no contrasting rump patch; short spiny tail; sexes identical; North American chimney-nesting species famous for its swirling pre-roost …
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
Chimney Swift
A medium-sized swift (12-15 cm) famous for roosting and nesting inside chimneys across eastern North America. Dark grey-brown plumage with a cigar-shaped body and short, spine-tipped tail. Aerial insectivore catching flying insects. Long-distance migrant wintering in northwestern South America.
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.