biology

São Tomé spinetail

São Tomé spinetail is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand São Tomé spinetail rather than just read about it. In short: The São Tomé spinetail (Zoonavena thomensis) is a species of swift in the family Apodidae. It is endemic to São Tomé and Príncipe, occurring in both São Tomé and Príncipe Islands.

Key takeaways

São Tomé spinetail belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect São Tomé spinetail to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of São Tomé spinetail from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The São Tomé spinetail (Zoonavena thomensis) is a species of swift in the family Apodidae. It is endemic to São Tomé and Príncipe, occurring in both São Tomé and Príncipe Islands. The species was described by Ernst Hartert on 1900.

Habitat The São Tomé spinetail is resident, occupying primary and secondary forests as well as cultivated areas and plantations, from the lowlands to 1500 m in altitude.

Behaviour The São Tomé spinetail captures small insects in flight, foraging in small flocks of 8 to 10 individuals. The species nests on the sides of hollow trees, constructing open, cupped nests. Breeding seemingly takes place between August and October, and females lay between 2 and 4 eggs. The species does not form breeding colonies, with each pair being solitary.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with São Tomé spinetail

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what São Tomé spinetail claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to São Tomé spinetail before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about São Tomé spinetail ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of São Tomé spinetail

In research: São Tomé spinetail appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses São Tomé spinetail in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: São Tomé spinetail is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Apodiformes stubs, Birds described in 1900, Endemic birds of São Tomé and Príncipe, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for São Tomé spinetail outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study São Tomé spinetail in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what São Tomé spinetail means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain São Tomé spinetail out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is São Tomé spinetail in simple terms?

The São Tomé spinetail (Zoonavena thomensis) is a species of swift in the family Apodidae. It is endemic to São Tomé and Príncipe, occurring in both São Tomé and Príncipe Islands.

Why does São Tomé spinetail matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study São Tomé spinetail?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on São Tomé spinetail.