Black Spinetail
Telacanthura melanopygia
Embed This Widget
Add the script tag and a data attribute to embed this widget.
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/birdfyi-embed@1/dist/embed.min.js" defer></script>
<div data-birdfyi="bird" data-slug="telacanthura-melanopygia"></div>
Embed via iframe for maximum compatibility.
<iframe src="https://birdfyi.com/iframe/bird/telacanthura-melanopygia/" width="420" height="400" frameborder="0" style="border:0;border-radius:10px;max-width:100%" loading="lazy"></iframe>
Paste this URL in WordPress, Medium, or any oEmbed-compatible platform.
https://birdfyi.com/bird/telacanthura-melanopygia/
Add a dynamic SVG badge to your README or docs.
[](https://birdfyi.com/bird/telacanthura-melanopygia/)
Use the native HTML custom element.
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/birdfyi-embed@1/dist/embed.min.js" defer></script>
<birdfyi-bird slug="telacanthura-melanopygia"></birdfyi-bird>
On this page
Über uns
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.
Physical Description
| Measurement | Value | Imperial |
|---|---|---|
| Flügelspannweite | 32,4 cm | 12.8 in |
| Gewicht | 52,0 g | 1.83 oz |
Identifizierung
Gefieder
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 other spinetails.
Habitat & Range
Geografisches Verbreitungsgebiet
Found in West and Central Africa from Nigeria and Cameroon east to Uganda. Resident in lowland rainforest and forest edge.
Diet & Feeding
High-speed aerial insectivore catching small flying insects and aerial spiders during fast sustained flight.
Erhaltungsstatus
Verhalten & Brutverhalten
Nistverhalten
Nest type: CR.
Lautgebung
Gesang
Deep, resonant chattering with gravelly undertones; series of rough churring notes interspersed with sharp screaming calls.
Taxonomie
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Ordnung | Caprimulgiformes (Nachtschwalben und Segler) |
| Familie | Apodidae (Segler) |
| Genus | Telacanthura |
| Arten | Telacanthura melanopygia |
Distribution
Black Spinetail has been recorded in 1 countries.
{# Distribution Map — simplified SVG world map with highlighted countries. Expects `country_codes` variable: list of ISO alpha-2 codes (e.g. ["US", "CA", "MX"]). Uses Alpine.js to toggle classes on country paths. #}countries highlighted
External Databases
Häufig gestellte Fragen
What does the Black Spinetail eat?
Where does the Black Spinetail live?
Is the Black Spinetail endangered?
How does the Black Spinetail nest?
What does the Black Spinetail sound like?
How big is the Black Spinetail?
What order and family does the Black Spinetail belong to?
Similar Birds
Other species in the Apodidae family