African Palm Swift vs Mottled Spinetail

Cypsiurus parvus в сравнении с Telacanthura ussheri

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Характеристика African Palm Swift Mottled Spinetail
Научное название Cypsiurus parvus Telacanthura ussheri
Отряд Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
Семейство Apodidae Apodidae
Охранный статус Least Concern Least Concern
Длина
Размах крыльев 27,2 cm (10.7 in) 29,1 cm (11.5 in)
Масса 14,38 g (0.51 oz) 32,65 g (1.15 oz)
Питание Exclusively aerial diet; consumes tiny flying insects and spiders, sometimes following insect swarms for km. Aerial diet of small flying insects and spiders; forages at speed over forest and open …
Размер кладки 1-3 4
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

Общие среды обитания

African Palm Swift only

Mottled Spinetail only

Нет

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Song & Call Comparison

African Palm Swift

Пение

Deep, hollow churring trill with resonant bass quality; prolonged vibrating call audible at significant range in open woodland.

Mottled Spinetail

Пение

Harsh, grating screech followed by rapid chattering; loud, raspy trill repeated insistently near colony roost sites.

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Geographic Range & Migration

African Palm Swift

Found across sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal east to Somalia and south to South Africa. Common in open areas near palms; nests in palm leaves.

Mottled Spinetail

Found across sub-Saharan Africa from Gambia east to Ethiopia and south to Zambia. Resident in forest, forest edge, and savanna woodland.

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Охранный статус

Least Concern

African Palm Swift

Least Concern

Mottled Spinetail

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How to Tell Them Apart

African Palm Swift

Оперение

Slender and long-tailed; uniformly pale greyish-brown overall; underparts paler grey-buff; long deeply forked tail; pale uniform appearance with no contrasting markings; widespread African palm-nesting swift with distinctive slender silhouette.

Mottled Spinetail

Оперение

Large spinetail; dark blackish-brown upperparts; white-mottled pale greyish underparts creating distinctively spotted belly; white rump band; spiny tail tips; African forest species with unique mottled underpart pattern among spinetails.

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About These Birds

African Palm Swift

A slender swift (15-17 cm) with long, narrow wings and a deeply forked tail. Dark brown plumage. Found across sub-Saharan Africa in savanna and open woodland, closely associated with palm trees. Aerial insectivore. One of Africa's most abundant swift species.

Mottled Spinetail

A medium-sized spinetail swift (14-15 cm) found in tropical forests across sub-Saharan Africa. Dark plumage with white mottling on the throat and belly. Spine-tipped tail for clinging to vertical surfaces. Aerial insectivore. Nests inside hollow trees and palm trunks.

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