African Palm Swift vs Sao Tome Spinetail
Cypsiurus parvus compared with Zoonavena thomensis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | African Palm Swift | Sao Tome Spinetail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Cypsiurus parvus | Zoonavena thomensis |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 27.2 cm (10.7 in) | 21.9 cm (8.6 in) |
| Weight | 14.38 g (0.51 oz) | 8.0 g (0.28 oz) |
| Diet | Exclusively aerial diet; consumes tiny flying insects and spiders, sometimes following insect swarms for km. | Aerial insectivore feeding on tiny flies, beetles, and ballooning spiders in rapid powerful aerial pursuit. |
| Clutch Size | 1-3 | 2-4 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
African Palm Swift only
Sao Tome Spinetail only
None
Song & Call Comparison
African Palm Swift
Deep, hollow churring trill with resonant bass quality; prolonged vibrating call audible at significant range in open woodland.
Sao Tome Spinetail
Sharp, high-frequency twittering with staccato clicking notes; rapid-fire chips strung together in buzzy aerial sequences.
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.
Sao Tome Spinetail
Endemic to São Tomé Island in the Gulf of Guinea. Resident in lowland forest and forest edge. Small island population vulnerable to habitat loss.
Conservation Status
African Palm Swift
Sao Tome Spinetail
How to Tell Them Apart
African Palm Swift
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.
Sao Tome Spinetail
Tiny; dark blackish-brown upperparts; white rump patch; pale whitish underparts; short spiny tail; São Tomé Island endemic; very similar to Madagascar Spinetail but restricted to Gulf of Guinea; one of …
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.
Sao Tome Spinetail
A medium-sized spinetail swift (12-13 cm) endemic to the islands of São Tomé and Príncipe in the Gulf of Guinea. Dark plumage. Aerial insectivore, foraging over forest canopy. Colonial nester. Restricted range on two small islands. Classified as Near Threatened.