Papuan Spinetail (Mearnsia novaeguineae)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Papuan Spinetail

Mearnsia novaeguineae (D'Albertis & Salvadori, 1879)

33 gWeight

The Papuan spinetail (Mearnsia novaeguineae), also known as the Papuan needletail, New Guinea spine-tailed swift or Papuan spine-tailed swift, is a species of swift native to the island of New Guinea.

Busiest months: August · Most records: Papua New Guinea, Indonesia

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Papuan Spinetail has been recorded at 26 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 2 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Kwatu LodgePapua New Guinea130 records
  2. Boystown Road – Bowerbird HillPapua New Guinea108 records
  3. Nimbokrang – Jalan Korea swamp forestIndonesia96 records
More places
  1. Fly River – between Kiunga and Elevala RiverPapua New Guinea91 records
  2. Drimgas Road, KiungaPapua New Guinea76 records
  3. Elevala and Ketu RiversPapua New Guinea75 records
  4. MalagufukIndonesia64 records
  5. Elevala RiverPapua New Guinea54 records
  6. Tabubil-Kiunga Rd – Km 17Papua New Guinea52 records
  7. Malagufuk villageIndonesia50 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Papua New GuineaIndonesia

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 Papuan spinetail (Mearnsia novaeguineae), also known as the Papuan needletail, New Guinea spine-tailed swift or Papuan spine-tailed swift, is a species of swift native to the island of New Guinea.

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

Questions

How big is the Papuan Spinetail?

The Papuan Spinetail weighs around 33 g.

Where does the Papuan Spinetail live?

Its breeding range: Australasia: New Guinea. It is most often recorded in Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.

When is the best time to see the Papuan Spinetail?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in August (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Papuan Spinetail endangered?

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

What does the Papuan Spinetail eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Papuan Spinetail in?

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

At a glance

Weight
33 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Feeds in the air
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
130 mm
Tail
30 mm
Bill
7 mm
Tarsus
11 mm

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

Range

Australasia: New Guinea

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Swifts Apodidae
Genus
Mearnsia

Other birds in the genus Mearnsia

Philippine SpinetailPhilippine SpinetailMearnsia picinaSpot-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
Papuan Spinetail

Download illustration

Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Markus Lilje. ↗

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