Black Spinetail (Telacanthura melanopygia)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Black Spinetail

Telacanthura melanopygia (Chapin, 1915)

52 gWeight

The black spinetail (Telacanthura melanopygia) is a species of swift in the family Apodidae.

Busiest months: March · Most records: Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Black Spinetail has been recorded at 27 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 6 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Antwikwaa – forest edge & farm scrubGhana42 records
  2. Kakum NP – Canopy Walkway & vicinityGhana42 records
  3. Bobiri Butterfly SanctuaryGhana38 records
More places
  1. Kakum NP – CanopyGhana34 records
  2. Ankasa NPGhana34 records
  3. Kakum National ParkGhana16 records
  4. Taï National ParkCôte d’Ivoire13 records
  5. Nsuta ForestGhana13 records
  6. Bonkro VillageGhana10 records
  7. Kwabena Sam ForestGhana7 records

Countries and regions with the most records

GhanaCôte d’IvoireGabonCentral African RepublicCameroonCongo - Brazzaville

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The black spinetail (Telacanthura melanopygia) is a species of swift in the family Apodidae.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Black Spinetail?

The Black Spinetail weighs around 52 g.

Where does the Black Spinetail live?

Its breeding range: Africa: Sierra Leone to Cameroon and Gabon, southwestern Central African Republic and northern DR Congo. It is most often recorded in Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Gabon.

When is the best time to see the Black Spinetail?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in March (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Black Spinetail endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Black Spinetail as Least Concern.

What does the Black Spinetail eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Black Spinetail in?

It belongs to the family Swifts (Apodidae), order Apodiformes.

At a glance

Weight
52 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Feeds in the air
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
162 mm
Tail
49 mm
Bill
10 mm
Tarsus
16 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: Sierra Leone to Cameroon and Gabon, southwestern Central African Republic and northern DR Congo

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Swifts Apodidae
Genus
Telacanthura

Other birds in the genus Telacanthura

Mottled SpinetailMottled SpinetailTelacanthura ussheriSpot-fronted SwiftSpot-fronted SwiftCypseloides cherrieiWhite-chinned SwiftWhite-chinned SwiftCypseloides cryptusWhite-fronted SwiftWhite-fronted SwiftCypseloides storeriSooty SwiftSooty SwiftCypseloides fumigatusRothschild's SwiftRothschild's SwiftCypseloides rothschildiAmerican Black SwiftAmerican Black SwiftCypseloides nigerWhite-chested SwiftWhite-chested SwiftCypseloides lemosiGreat Dusky SwiftGreat Dusky SwiftCypseloides senexTepui SwiftTepui SwiftStreptoprocne phelpsi
Black Spinetail

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from reference photos.

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