Telacanthura

Telacanthura is a genus containing two species of swift in the family Apodidae that are found in Africa.

Telacanthura
Mottled spinetail (Telacanthura ussheri)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Clade:	Strisores
Order:	Apodiformes
Family:	Apodidae
Tribe:	Chaeturini
Genus:	Telacanthura Mathews, 1918
Type species
Chaetura ussheri Sharpe, 1870

Taxonomy

The genus Telacanthura was introduced in 1918 by the Australian-born ornithologist Gregory Mathews with the type species as Chaetura ussheri Sharpe, 1870, the mottled spinetail.^[1][2] The genus name is from Ancient Greek τελος/telos meaning "accomplished" or "end" with ακανθα/akantha meaning "thorn".^[3]

The genus contains two species:^[4]

• Black spinetail (Telacanthura melanopygia)
• Mottled spinetail (Telacanthura ussheri)