Tepui Swift vs Black Spinetail
Streptoprocne phelpsi compared with Telacanthura melanopygia
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Tepui Swift | Black Spinetail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Streptoprocne phelpsi | Telacanthura melanopygia |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 25.0 cm (9.8 in) | 32.4 cm (12.8 in) |
| Weight | 22.240000000000002 g (0.78 oz) | 52.0 g (1.83 oz) |
| Diet | Aerial insectivore taking small flying insects and spiders; may forage at great heights following thermal … | High-speed aerial insectivore catching small flying insects and aerial spiders during fast sustained flight. |
| Clutch Size | -- | -- |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Tepui Swift
Sharp, rapid twittering; thin screaming 'scree-scree'; calls over tepui summits in Venezuela; higher-pitched than White-collared Swift; small size reflected in thin notes
Black Spinetail
Deep, resonant chattering with gravelly undertones; series of rough churring notes interspersed with sharp screaming calls.
Geographic Range & Migration
Tepui Swift
Found in the tepui highlands of southern Venezuela and adjacent Guyana and Brazil above 1,000 m. Resident in Guiana Shield rocky outcrops.
Black Spinetail
Found in West and Central Africa from Nigeria and Cameroon east to Uganda. Resident in lowland rainforest and forest edge.
Conservation Status
Tepui Swift
Black Spinetail
How to Tell Them Apart
Tepui Swift
Dark blackish-brown overall with no white collar; slightly paler brownish-grey chin; small and compact; confined to Venezuelan tepuis; lacks the diagnostic white or chestnut collar found in most Streptoprocne swifts.
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
Tepui Swift
A medium-sized swift (15-16 cm) endemic to the tepui highlands of southern Venezuela and adjacent Guyana. Dark plumage. Aerial insectivore, foraging over tepui cliffs and forested valleys. Named after William Phelps. One of the least known Neotropical swifts.
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.