Photo: Tommy Andriollo / CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Sabine’s Spinetail
Rhaphidura sabini
Sabine's Spinetail (Rhaphidura sabini) — Swifts of Africa.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Sabine’s Spinetail (Rhaphidura sabini) is a member of the Apodidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 16 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Apodiformes
- Family Apodidae Swifts
- Genus Rhaphidura
- Species sabini
Quick facts
- Weight
- 16 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Apodidae
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Sabine’s 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 Sabine’s Spinetail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Sabine’s Spinetail (Rhaphidura sabini) belongs to the Apodidae family of the order Apodiformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF Sierra Leone to w Uganda and w Kenya.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 16 g, with a wing length of about 12.3 cm and a tail of around 3.8 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 1.8 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Sabine’s Spinetail?
The Sabine’s Spinetail is a small bird that weighs around 16 g.
Where does the Sabine’s Spinetail live?
The Sabine’s Spinetail is found across Africa with a range covering AF Sierra Leone to w Uganda and w Kenya, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Sabine’s Spinetail belong to?
The Sabine’s Spinetail (Rhaphidura sabini) belongs to the Apodidae family, in the order Apodiformes.
What does the Sabine’s Spinetail eat?
The Sabine’s Spinetail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Sabine’s Spinetail migrate?
The Sabine’s Spinetail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Sabine’s Spinetail endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Sabine’s Spinetail make?
1 real field recording of the Sabine’s Spinetail — including its alarm call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Sabine’s Spinetail's range?
The Sabine’s Spinetail has a mapped global range of about 1.8 million 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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