Cook's Swift vs Black Spinetail
Apus cooki comparé à Telacanthura melanopygia
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribut | Cook's Swift | Black Spinetail |
|---|---|---|
| Nom scientifique | Apus cooki | Telacanthura melanopygia |
| Ordre | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Famille | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Statut de conservation | Not Evaluated | Least Concern |
| Longueur | — | — |
| Envergure | — | 32,4 cm (12.8 in) |
| Poids | 42,949999999999996 g (1.52 oz) | 52,0 g (1.83 oz) |
| Régime alimentaire | Catches aerial plankton — tiny midges, gnats, and ballooning spiders — continuously during soaring flight. | High-speed aerial insectivore catching small flying insects and aerial spiders during fast sustained flight. |
| Taille de la couvée | -- | -- |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Cook's Swift
Bright, flute-like series of liquid notes; clear melodic phrase ascending slightly then resolving on a sustained pure tone.
Black Spinetail
Deep, resonant chattering with gravelly undertones; series of rough churring notes interspersed with sharp screaming calls.
Geographic Range & Migration
Cook's Swift
Found from southern Thailand through the Thai-Malay Peninsula to Sumatra, Borneo, and adjacent islands. Resident in lowland forest.
Black Spinetail
Found in West and Central Africa from Nigeria and Cameroon east to Uganda. Resident in lowland rainforest and forest edge.
Statut de conservation
Cook's Swift
Black Spinetail
How to Tell Them Apart
Cook's Swift
Dark sooty-brown upperparts; white rump patch; pale white throat; dark underparts; deeply forked tail; recently split taxon from Pacific Swift complex; plumage essentially identical to close relatives, distinguished primarily by …
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
Cook's Swift
A medium-sized swift (16-17 cm) found in montane forests from the Malay Peninsula through Southeast Asia to southern China. Dark plumage with a pale throat. Aerial insectivore. Named after Frederick Cook. Until recently considered conspecific with Pacific Swift.
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.