Black Spinetail vs Mottled Spinetail
Telacanthura melanopygia compared with Telacanthura ussheri
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Black Spinetail | Mottled Spinetail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Telacanthura melanopygia | Telacanthura ussheri |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 32.4 cm (12.8 in) | 29.1 cm (11.5 in) |
| Weight | 52.0 g (1.83 oz) | 32.65 g (1.15 oz) |
| Diet | High-speed aerial insectivore catching small flying insects and aerial spiders during fast sustained flight. | Aerial diet of small flying insects and spiders; forages at speed over forest and open … |
| Clutch Size | -- | 4 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Black Spinetail
Deep, resonant chattering with gravelly undertones; series of rough churring notes interspersed with sharp screaming calls.
Mottled Spinetail
Harsh, grating screech followed by rapid chattering; loud, raspy trill repeated insistently near colony roost sites.
Geographic Range & Migration
Black Spinetail
Found in West and Central Africa from Nigeria and Cameroon east to Uganda. Resident in lowland rainforest and forest edge.
Mottled Spinetail
Found across sub-Saharan Africa from Gambia east to Ethiopia and south to Zambia. Resident in forest, forest edge, and savanna woodland.
Conservation Status
Black Spinetail
Mottled Spinetail
How to Tell Them Apart
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 …
Mottled Spinetail
Large spinetail; dark blackish-brown upperparts; white-mottled pale greyish underparts creating distinctively spotted belly; white rump band; spiny tail tips; African forest species with unique mottled underpart pattern among spinetails.
About These Birds
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.
Mottled Spinetail
A medium-sized spinetail swift (14-15 cm) found in tropical forests across sub-Saharan Africa. Dark plumage with white mottling on the throat and belly. Spine-tipped tail for clinging to vertical surfaces. Aerial insectivore. Nests inside hollow trees and palm trunks.