Grey-rumped Swift vs Black Spinetail

Chaetura cinereiventris comparé à Telacanthura melanopygia

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribut Grey-rumped Swift Black Spinetail
Nom scientifique Chaetura cinereiventris Telacanthura melanopygia
Ordre Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
Famille Apodidae Apodidae
Statut de conservation Least Concern Least Concern
Longueur
Envergure 20,9 cm (8.2 in) 32,4 cm (12.8 in)
Poids 16,15 g (0.57 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 2-4 --
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

Habitats partagés

Grey-rumped Swift only

Aucun(e)

Black Spinetail only

Aucun(e)

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Song & Call Comparison

Grey-rumped Swift

Chant

Soft, rippling trill with gentle buzzy overtones; light aerial call carrying a faint liquid quality on calm mornings.

Black Spinetail

Chant

Deep, resonant chattering with gravelly undertones; series of rough churring notes interspersed with sharp screaming calls.

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Geographic Range & Migration

Grey-rumped Swift

Found from Nicaragua south through Central America and northwestern South America to Bolivia and Brazil. Resident in lowland forest and edge.

Black Spinetail

Found in West and Central Africa from Nigeria and Cameroon east to Uganda. Resident in lowland rainforest and forest edge.

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Statut de conservation

Least Concern

Grey-rumped Swift

Least Concern

Black Spinetail

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How to Tell Them Apart

Grey-rumped Swift

Plumage

Small; dark blackish-brown upperparts; pale grey rump contrasting with dark back; underparts dark grey-brown; short spiny tail; Neotropical species with the grey rump as key field mark; widespread from Caribbean …

Black Spinetail

Plumage

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 …

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About These Birds

Grey-rumped Swift

A medium-sized swift (11-12 cm) found in humid forests from Central America to southern Brazil. Dark grey plumage with a contrasting pale grey rump band. Short, spine-tipped tail. Aerial insectivore, foraging over forest canopy. Nests behind waterfalls and in caves.

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.

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