Photo: Joseph Smit / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Philippine Spinetail
Mearnsia picina
Philippine Spinetail (Mearnsia picina) — Swifts of South & Southeast Asia.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Philippine Spinetail (Mearnsia picina) is a member of the Apodidae family found in South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 42.5 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Apodiformes
- Family Apodidae Swifts
- Genus Mearnsia
- Species picina
Quick facts
- Weight
- 42.5 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Apodidae
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Philippine Spinetail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.
Migration
The Philippine Spinetail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Philippine Spinetail (Mearnsia picina) is a species of bird in the Apodidae family, part of the order Apodiformes. It occurs naturally across South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR Visayas to Sulu Arch. (c, s Philippines).
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 42.5 g, with a wing length of about 16.2 cm and a tail of around 2.6 cm.
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 113,000 km².
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Philippine Spinetail?
The Philippine Spinetail is a small bird that weighs around 42.5 g.
Where does the Philippine Spinetail live?
The Philippine Spinetail is found across South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR Visayas to Sulu Arch. (c, s Philippines), where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Philippine Spinetail belong to?
The Philippine Spinetail (Mearnsia picina) belongs to the Apodidae family, in the order Apodiformes.
What does the Philippine Spinetail eat?
The Philippine Spinetail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Philippine Spinetail migrate?
The Philippine Spinetail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Philippine Spinetail endangered?
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
How large is the Philippine Spinetail's range?
The Philippine Spinetail has a mapped global range of about 113,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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