Bat-like Spinetail

Bat-like Spinetail

Neafrapus boehmi

Silhouette: Aviceda (vectorized by T. Michael Keesey) · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at South Luangwa National Park

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

16 Verified sightings at South Luangwa National Park From 2019 to 2026
379 In all 7 parks
October Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Bat-like Spinetail

Böhm's spinetail, also Bohm's spinetail or Boehm's spinetail, (Neafrapus boehmi), also known as the bat-like spinetail, is a species of swift in the family Apodidae. It is found in Angola, Botswana, DRC, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. It occurs in the vicinity of Baobab trees and nests in cavities in the trees.

The name of this bird commemorates the German zoologist Richard Böhm. Böhm's spinetail - Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Lower Zambezi National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
~30%
2 Mana Pools National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~20%
3 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~20%
4 Mikumi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
5 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
<5%
6 South Luangwa National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
<5%
7 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Bat-like Spinetail in South Luangwa National Park?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Bat-like Spinetail sighting in South Luangwa National Park on a given day, based on 16 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 204th most-seen of the 257 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Bat-like Spinetail in South Luangwa National Park?

October

In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Bat-like Spinetail in South Luangwa National Park on a given day, against under 5% in November to September, the lowest months. That is one of South Luangwa National Park's driest months, with about 5 mm of rain against 310 mm in January.

What time of day is best to see a Bat-like Spinetail?

Between 6 and 9 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Bat-like Spinetail sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is South Luangwa National Park the best place to see a Bat-like Spinetail?

6th of 7

Of the 7 parks where we can rate Bat-like Spinetail sightings, South Luangwa National Park ranks 6th at under 5%. The best odds are in Lower Zambezi National Park (Zambia, about 30%), Mana Pools National Park (Zimbabwe, about 20%) and Ruaha National Park (Tanzania, about 20%).

Which relatives of the Bat-like Spinetail live in South Luangwa National Park?

Same family: Apodidae

The closest relatives of the Bat-like Spinetail that you can see in South Luangwa National Park (family Apodidae, Swifts) are African Palm-Swift (about 30%), Little Swift (about 10%) and Horus Swift (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Bat-like Spinetail sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Bat-like Spinetail is recorded against all the birds logged in South Luangwa National Park (16 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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