Brown-backed Needletail vs Black Spinetail
Hirundapus giganteus comparado con Telacanthura melanopygia
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Atributo | Brown-backed Needletail | Black Spinetail |
|---|---|---|
| Nombre científico | Hirundapus giganteus | Telacanthura melanopygia |
| Orden | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Familia | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Estado de conservación | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Longitud | — | — |
| Envergadura | 40,6 cm (16.0 in) | 32,4 cm (12.8 in) |
| Peso | 145,0 g (5.11 oz) | 52,0 g (1.83 oz) |
| Dieta | Aerial insectivore feeding on tiny flies, beetles, and ballooning spiders in rapid powerful aerial pursuit. | High-speed aerial insectivore catching small flying insects and aerial spiders during fast sustained flight. |
| Tamaño de la puesta | 3-5 | -- |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Brown-backed Needletail
Rough, buzzy chatter with intermittent higher squeaks; coarse twittering delivered continuously throughout aerial foraging.
Black Spinetail
Deep, resonant chattering with gravelly undertones; series of rough churring notes interspersed with sharp screaming calls.
Geographic Range & Migration
Brown-backed Needletail
Found from India and Sri Lanka through Southeast Asia to Borneo and the Philippines. Resident in lowland and hill forest, soaring over ridges.
Black Spinetail
Found in West and Central Africa from Nigeria and Cameroon east to Uganda. Resident in lowland rainforest and forest edge.
Estado de conservación
Brown-backed Needletail
Black Spinetail
How to Tell Them Apart
Brown-backed Needletail
Very large; dark brown upperparts with bronze gloss; no pale back saddle unlike congeners; white throat patch; white undertail coverts; short spiny tail; largest Hirundapus; brown rather than black overall …
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
Brown-backed Needletail
El vencejo de aguja marrón es el vencejo más grande del mundo, con una envergadura de hasta 58 cm. Habita en el sur y sudeste de Asia, desde India hasta las islas del Pacífico. Tiene alas largas y estrechas, una garganta marrón oscura y una mancha en la rabadilla. Captura insectos y arañas al vuelo. Anida en grietas de acantilados. A menudo se observa en grandes altitudes, especialmente sobre las montañas.
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.