Mottled Spinetail
NameMottled Spinetail
Common NameMottled Spinetail
Scientific NameTelacanthura ussheri
FamilyApodidae
Wingspan (cm)32.5
Length (cm)14
Weight (g)35
Plumage DetailsOverall dark sooty-brown plumage, with a contrasting pale greyish-white throat and upper breast. The lower breast and belly are mottled or scaled with white, and the undertail coverts are dark.
Vocalization / CallProduces high-pitched, rapid, chattering or twittering calls, often given in flight.
Primary Dietinsectivore
Primary Habitatsforest, grassland
Conservation Statusleast-concern
Geographic RangeFound in sub-Saharan Africa, with a fragmented distribution across West, Central, East, and Southern Africa.
Identifying Featuresdark sooty-brown plumage, pale throat and upper breast, mottled underparts, swift-like flight pattern, stiff, projecting tail feather shafts
Description
The Mottled Spinetail is a medium-sized swift, characterized by its rapid, erratic flight as it forages for insects high in the sky. It is an aerial insectivore, spending most of its active time on the wing over various wooded habitats.
