Papuan spinetail
Species of bird From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Papuan spinetail (Mearnsia novaeguineae), also known as the Papuan needletail, New Guinea spine-tailed swift or Papuan spine-tailed swift, is a small (11.5 cm in length), stocky swift with a short, rounded tail and very fast flight. Head and upperparts glossy blue-black, white or whitish belly and undertail coverts, dark underwing with pale central stripe. The small spines at the end of the tail are not visible in flight.
| Papuan spinetail | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Clade: | Strisores |
| Order: | Apodiformes |
| Family: | Apodidae |
| Genus: | Mearnsia |
| Species: | M. novaeguineae |
| Binomial name | |
| Mearnsia novaeguineae (D’Albertis & Salvadori, 1879) | |
Distribution
Endemic to New Guinea where it is widespread in the lowlands and hills up to 550 m. It has been recorded from Boigu Island, Queensland, Australian territory in north-western Torres Strait.
Habitat
Forest edges, gardens and cleared areas with standing dead trees.
Food
Flying insects.
Breeding
Nests in a high tree hollows.
Conservation
Common and widespread species assessed as being of Least Concern.
References
Wikiwand - on
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.