Ashy-tailed Swift vs Black Spinetail
Chaetura andrei comparé à Telacanthura melanopygia
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribut | Ashy-tailed Swift | Black Spinetail |
|---|---|---|
| Nom scientifique | Chaetura andrei | Telacanthura melanopygia |
| Ordre | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Famille | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Statut de conservation | Vulnerable | Least Concern |
| Longueur | — | — |
| Envergure | 22,3 cm (8.8 in) | 32,4 cm (12.8 in) |
| Poids | 17,1 g (0.60 oz) | 52,0 g (1.83 oz) |
| Régime alimentaire | Aerial insectivore foraging continuously in flight, taking tiny flies, beetles, and ballooning spiders. | 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
Ashy-tailed Swift
Dry rattling chatter with sharp staccato onset; brief bursts of clicking notes followed by descending hissing sound.
Black Spinetail
Deep, resonant chattering with gravelly undertones; series of rough churring notes interspersed with sharp screaming calls.
Geographic Range & Migration
Ashy-tailed Swift
Found in eastern Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and northern Argentina. Partially migratory; moves north in austral winter. 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
Ashy-tailed Swift
Black Spinetail
How to Tell Them Apart
Ashy-tailed Swift
Small; dark sooty-brown overall; distinctly pale ashy-grey rump and tail contrasting with dark body; underparts dark grey-brown; ashy rump and tail the defining feature separating it from other South American …
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
Ashy-tailed Swift
A small swift (11-12 cm) of lowland forests in Venezuela, the Guianas, and Trinidad, with a separate population in southeastern Brazil. Dark plumage with an ashy-grey rump and undertail. Spine-tipped tail. Aerial insectivore. Nests in hollow palms and chimneys.
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.