White-tipped Sicklebill
Eutoxeres aquila
This streaky hummingbird has a remarkably decurved bill like a Velociraptor claw. The bill shape alone distinguishes it from all hummingbirds except the very similar Buff-tailed Sicklebill, which only overlaps in some areas of the range. Look at the tail pattern to separate the two species: White-tipped is well-named with only white tips on the tail feathers, while Buff-tailed has more extensive buff on the outer tail feathers. Sicklebills are most often seen feeding on Heliconia flowers in the dark forest understory; they’re generally uncommon and fast-moving, difficult to get a look at. Does not visit feeders.
Identification
The white-tipped sicklebill's most prominent feature is its strongly decurved bill that arcs through a quarter circle; the maxilla is black and the mandible yellow. The species is about 11.5 to 13.5 cm (4.5 to 5.3 in) long and weighs about 8.6 to 14.5 g (0.30 to 0.51 oz). The sexes are alike in plumage. Adults' upperparts are green, their throat and chest blackish, and the rest of the underparts striped green and white. The tail is mostly green, with the outer pair of feathers more dusky with white tips. Juveniles appear scaly.
Taxonomy
The white-tipped sicklebill shares the genus Eutoxeres with the buff-tailed sicklebill (E. condamini). It has three subspecies, the nominate E. a. aquila, E. a. salvini, and E. a. heterurus.
- Scientific name
- Eutoxeres aquila
- Authority
- (Bourcier, 1847)
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Family
- Trochilidae
- Genus
- Eutoxeres
Range and habitat
The northernmost subspecies of white-tipped sicklebill, E. a. salvini, is found in Costa Rica, Panama, and western Colombia. E. a. heterurus is found from Colombia's Cauca Department south through western Ecuador, and there is also at least one record in Mérida of western Venezuela. The nominate E. a. aquila is found from eastern Colombia south through eastern Ecuador into northern Peru. The species inhabits the understory of montane evergreen forest. In Costa Rica, it ranges between 300 and 700 m (980 and 2,300 ft) of elevation on the Caribbean side and 1,000 and 1,200 m (3,300 and 3,900 ft) on the Pacific side. In western Colombia, it is found from sea level to 1,400 m (4,600 ft) and in the Magdalena River valley between 1,600 and 2,100 m (5,200 and 6,900 ft). In Peru, it is found between 750 and 2,000 m (2,460 and 6,560 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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