Böhm's spinetail, also Bohm's spinetail or Boehm's spinetail,, also known as the bat-like spinetail, is a species of swift in the family Apodidae.
Region
South-central and East Africa
Typical Environment
Böhm's spinetail occurs patchily across dry woodland and savanna zones, especially miombo and mopane woodlands. It favors areas with large, old trees—particularly baobabs—that provide nest and roost cavities. Birds forage over woodland edges, riverine corridors, floodplains, and open clearings, often near water. It is recorded from countries such as Tanzania, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and adjacent parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Angola. Local abundance increases after rains when aerial insects emerge.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1800 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called the bat-like spinetail, this small swift spends most of its life on the wing, snapping up insects in fast, erratic flights. It is closely associated with baobab trees, often nesting and roosting in natural cavities. The stiff tail spines help it brace against vertical surfaces inside cavities. Like many swifts, it can drink on the wing and often gathers over water or after rains when insects swarm.
Temperament
highly aerial and active
Flight Pattern
rapid, erratic flight with short glides; bat-like wingbeats
Social Behavior
Frequently forages in small groups, sometimes mixing with other swifts over clearings and rivers. Pairs nest in natural cavities, especially in baobab trunks or large dead trees, and may use the same sites repeatedly. Breeding generally coincides with the rainy season when insect prey peaks. Roosting is communal at favored cavities.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives high, thin twitters and squeaky trills while in flight. Calls accelerate and soften during group foraging over water or after rain, often sounding bat-like and insect-like at a distance.
