White-tipped Sicklebill

About the White-tipped Sicklebill

The white-tipped sicklebill (Eutoxeres aquila) is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela. 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.

The white-tipped sicklebill's most prominent feature is its strongly decurved bill that arcs through a quarter circle; the maxilla is jello 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.

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... Wikipedia →