🐦

Madagascar Spinetail

Zoonavena grandidieri

Least Concern
Envergure
24,9 cm
Poids
9,25 g
Famille
Apodidae
Ordre
Caprimulgiformes
On this page

À propos

A medium-sized spinetail swift (12-13 cm) endemic to Madagascar. Dark plumage with a pale rump and short, spine-tipped tail. Aerial insectivore, foraging over forest and woodland. Nests in tree hollows. Found throughout Madagascar's remaining forested areas.

Physical Description

Measurement Value Imperial
Envergure 24,9 cm 9.8 in
Poids 9,25 g 0.33 oz

Identification

Plumage

Tiny; dark brown-black upperparts; contrasting white rump patch; underparts pale whitish; short spiny tail; Malagasy endemic; white rump is the most diagnostic feature, recalling swiftlets but with characteristic spinetail tail tip.

Habitat & Range

Répartition géographique

Endemic to Madagascar. Resident in forest edge and open areas across the island. Nests in hollow palms and rock crevices.

Diet & Feeding

Obligate aerial forager on small insects and airborne spiders; among the fastest-flying of all swift species.

Statut de conservation

Least Concern
IUCN Red List

Comportement et reproduction

Nidification

Nest type: CR,CV.

Son

Chant

Rapid, high-pitched chittering calls in flight; thin, insect-like trilling notes delivered in quick bursts above forest canopy.

Taxonomie

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Aves
Ordre Caprimulgiformes (Nightjars & Swifts)
Famille Apodidae (Swifts)
Genus Zoonavena
Espèces Zoonavena grandidieri

Distribution

Madagascar 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. #}
Présent Not recorded
{# Simplified country/region shapes — major landmasses with ISO alpha-2 data attributes. These are simplified polygon representations for visual distribution display. #}

countries highlighted

External Databases

Foire aux questions

What does the Madagascar Spinetail eat?
Obligate aerial forager on small insects and airborne spiders; among the fastest-flying of all swift species.
Where does the Madagascar Spinetail live?
Endemic to Madagascar. Resident in forest edge and open areas across the island. Nests in hollow palms and rock crevices.
Is the Madagascar Spinetail endangered?
The Madagascar Spinetail has a conservation status of Least Concern.
How does the Madagascar Spinetail nest?
Nest type: CR,CV.
What does the Madagascar Spinetail sound like?
Rapid, high-pitched chittering calls in flight; thin, insect-like trilling notes delivered in quick bursts above forest canopy.
How big is the Madagascar Spinetail?
The Madagascar Spinetail has a wingspan of 24.9 cm, weight of 9.25 g.
What order and family does the Madagascar Spinetail belong to?
The Madagascar Spinetail (Zoonavena grandidieri) belongs to the order Caprimulgiformes and the family Apodidae.

Similar Birds

Other species in the Apodidae family

Comparer

Explore More

Explore the Nature FYI Family