Brown-backed Needletail vs Black Spinetail
Hirundapus giganteus comparado com Telacanthura melanopygia
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Atributo | Brown-backed Needletail | Black Spinetail |
|---|---|---|
| Nome científico | Hirundapus giganteus | Telacanthura melanopygia |
| Ordem | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Família | Apodidae | Apodidae |
| Estado de conservação | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Comprimento | — | — |
| Envergadura | 40,6 cm (16.0 in) | 32,4 cm (12.8 in) |
| Peso | 145,0 g (5.11 oz) | 52,0 g (1.83 oz) |
| Dieta | Aerial insectivore feeding on tiny flies, beetles, and ballooning spiders in rapid powerful aerial pursuit. | High-speed aerial insectivore catching small flying insects and aerial spiders during fast sustained flight. |
| Tamanho da postura | 3-5 | -- |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Brown-backed Needletail
Rough, buzzy chatter with intermittent higher squeaks; coarse twittering delivered continuously throughout aerial foraging.
Black Spinetail
Deep, resonant chattering with gravelly undertones; series of rough churring notes interspersed with sharp screaming calls.
Geographic Range & Migration
Brown-backed Needletail
Found from India and Sri Lanka through Southeast Asia to Borneo and the Philippines. Resident in lowland and hill forest, soaring over ridges.
Black Spinetail
Found in West and Central Africa from Nigeria and Cameroon east to Uganda. Resident in lowland rainforest and forest edge.
Estado de conservação
Brown-backed Needletail
Black Spinetail
How to Tell Them Apart
Brown-backed Needletail
Very large; dark brown upperparts with bronze gloss; no pale back saddle unlike congeners; white throat patch; white undertail coverts; short spiny tail; largest Hirundapus; brown rather than black overall …
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
Brown-backed Needletail
O andorinhão-de-agulha-gigante é o maior andorinhão do mundo, com envergadura de até 58 cm. Habita no sul e sudeste asiático, desde a Índia até às ilhas do Pacífico. Tem asas longas e estreitas, uma garganta castanha escura e uma mancha na rabadilla. Captura insetos e aranhas em voo. Nidifica em fendas de penhascos. Frequentemente observado em grandes altitudes, especialmente sobre as montanhas.
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.