House Swift vs Black Spinetail
Apus nipalensis comparé à Telacanthura melanopygia
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribut | House Swift | Black Spinetail |
|---|---|---|
| Nom scientifique | Apus nipalensis | Telacanthura melanopygia |
| Ordre | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Famille | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Statut de conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Longueur | — | — |
| Envergure | 26,0 cm (10.2 in) | 32,4 cm (12.8 in) |
| Poids | 28,15 g (0.99 oz) | 52,0 g (1.83 oz) |
| Régime alimentaire | Obligate aerial forager catching small flies, aphids, winged termites, and airborne spiders on the wing. | High-speed aerial insectivore catching small flying insects and aerial spiders during fast sustained flight. |
| Taille de la couvée | 1-5 | -- |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
House Swift
Soft, melodic warbling phrase with flowing quality; gentle notes weaving smoothly, typical of damp tropical forest mornings.
Black Spinetail
Deep, resonant chattering with gravelly undertones; series of rough churring notes interspersed with sharp screaming calls.
Geographic Range & Migration
House Swift
Found from Afghanistan east through South and Southeast Asia to Japan and Indonesia. Common in urban areas and hill country up to 2,500 m.
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
House Swift
Black Spinetail
How to Tell Them Apart
House Swift
Small; dark sooty-brown; white rump patch; white throat; underparts dark; square-ended tail; East and Southeast Asian colonial swift; closely resembles Little Swift but slightly larger and marginally different in rump …
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
House Swift
A small swift (13-15 cm) found across South and Southeast Asia from Japan through China to Indonesia. Dark plumage with a white rump and square tail. Aerial insectivore. Colonial nester on buildings, bridges, and cliffs. Very common in Asian cities and towns.
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.