Sabine's Spinetail (Rhaphidura sabini)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Sabine's Spinetail

Rhaphidura sabini (Gray, JE, 1829)

16 gWeight

Sabine's spinetail is a species of swift in the family Apodidae.

Busiest months: March · Most records: Ghana, Uganda, Equatorial Guinea

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: March · Most records: Ghana, Uganda, Equatorial Guinea

Sabine's Spinetail has been recorded at 61 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 12 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Ankasa NPGhana317 records
  2. Budongo Forest Reserve – Royal MileUganda207 records
  3. Kibale NPUganda90 records
More places
  1. Kakum NP – Canopy Walkway & vicinityGhana71 records
  2. Nsuta ForestGhana59 records
  3. Kakum National ParkGhana56 records
  4. Kakum NP – CanopyGhana54 records
  5. Taï National ParkCôte d’Ivoire47 records
  6. Mabira ForestUganda45 records
  7. Ankasa NP – entrance vicinityGhana44 records

Countries and regions with the most records

GhanaUgandaEquatorial GuineaGabonCôte d’IvoireCameroonCentral African RepublicCongo - 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

Sabine's spinetail 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 Sabine's Spinetail?

The Sabine's Spinetail weighs around 16 g.

Where does the Sabine's Spinetail live?

Its breeding range: Africa: Sierra Leone to western Uganda and western Kenya. It is most often recorded in Ghana, Uganda and Equatorial Guinea.

When is the best time to see the Sabine's Spinetail?

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

Is the Sabine's Spinetail endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Sabine's Spinetail as Least Concern.

What does the Sabine's Spinetail eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Sabine's Spinetail in?

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

At a glance

Weight
16 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Feeds in the air
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
123 mm
Tail
38 mm
Bill
6 mm
Tarsus
11 mm

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

Range

Africa: Sierra Leone to western Uganda and western Kenya

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Swifts Apodidae
Genus
Rhaphidura

Other birds in the genus Rhaphidura

Silver-rumped SpinetailSilver-rumped SpinetailRhaphidura leucopygialisSpot-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
Sabine's Spinetail

Download illustration

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

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