Buff-tailed Sicklebill
Encyclopedia
The Buff-tailed Sicklebill (Eutoxeres condamini) is a species
of hermit hummingbird
from the lower Andes
and adjacent west Amazonian
lowlands from southern Colombia
and northern Ecuador
to Peru
and Bolivia
.
. Males and females are virtually identical, differing only in size (especially wing measurements), with the females being some 20% smaller.
Its upperparts are iridescent dull greenish, while the underparts are whitish, densely streaked with dusky. The neck-side has a relatively faint blue patch. The tips of the rectrices (tail feathers) are white, and there is a naked stripe on top of the head (but this is usually concealed). The most conspicuous features, however, are those the common name
refers to: the bill is strongly decurved, and the outer three rectrices on each side are deep buff
, best visible from below.
Immature birds have light-tipped remiges (pinions), hardly any blue on the neck, and lack the naked crown stripe. Hatchling
s have black skin and grey down.
There are two subspecies
which are not very distinct and almost form a continuous cline
, with an extensive intergradation zone in northern Peru:
The buff outer remiges are the most reliable trait for separating the Buff-tailed Sicklebill from the only other member of the genus
Eutoxeres
, the White-tipped Sicklebill
(E. aquila), which has a more northerly distribution. The Eutoxeres species are somewhat sympatric however, for example in the foothills of Putumayo around Mocoa
, Colombia.
s, recorded from 590-10,800 ft (180-3,300 m) ASL
. It will tolerate more habitat disturbance than its congener
, regularly occurring in plantation
s, bamboo
stands and open habitat where populations are healthy, though it still prefers natural vegetation. Nothing precise is known about its movements, though it is presumed that the birds are non-migratory. The peculiar bill is an adaption to the shape of certain flowers, namely of the genera
Centropogon
and Heliconia
. It feeds mainly by trap-lining
. In addition to nectar, it will also catch small arthropods.
The two white eggs are laid in a nest which is attached to the underside of a leaf, a few yards/meters above ground. In the southern Cordillera Oriental of Colombia, nest construction was observed in July or August, and in the lowlands of Ecuador
's Napo Province
in January. Birds with enlarged gonad
s were found in Peru from September to November. Only the female incubates; the incubation period is 16–18 days and the young fledge
22–24 days after hatching. They start to breed when they are 1–2 years old.
Generally fairly common though inconspicuous and easily overlooked, it is considered a species of Least Concern
by the IUCN. This species is most easily seen in the mixed habitat of old and young forest and small-scale logging at the Napo River
in eastern Ecuador.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of hermit hummingbird
Hermit (hummingbird)
The hermits are tropical and subtropical hummingbirds in the subfamily Phaethornithinae, comprising 30–40 species in six genera. They occur from southern Mexico, through Central America, to South America as far south as northern Argentina....
from the lower Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
and adjacent west Amazonian
Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon Rainforest , also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America...
lowlands from southern Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
and northern Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
to Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
and Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
.
Description
With a total length of 5-6 in (13–15 cm) and weighing 0.28-0.44 oz (8-12.5 g), it is a relatively large hummingbirdHummingbird
Hummingbirds are birds that comprise the family Trochilidae. They are among the smallest of birds, most species measuring in the 7.5–13 cm range. Indeed, the smallest extant bird species is a hummingbird, the 5-cm Bee Hummingbird. They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings...
. Males and females are virtually identical, differing only in size (especially wing measurements), with the females being some 20% smaller.
Its upperparts are iridescent dull greenish, while the underparts are whitish, densely streaked with dusky. The neck-side has a relatively faint blue patch. The tips of the rectrices (tail feathers) are white, and there is a naked stripe on top of the head (but this is usually concealed). The most conspicuous features, however, are those the common name
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
refers to: the bill is strongly decurved, and the outer three rectrices on each side are deep buff
Buff (colour)
Buff is a pale yellow-brown colour that got its name from the colour of buff leather.Displayed on the right is the colour buff.EtymologyAccording to the Oxford English Dictionary, buff as a descriptor of a colour was first used in the London Gazette of 1686, describing a uniform to be "A Red Coat...
, best visible from below.
Immature birds have light-tipped remiges (pinions), hardly any blue on the neck, and lack the naked crown stripe. Hatchling
Hatchling
In oviparous biology, a hatchling is the newborn of animals that develop and emerge from within hard-shell eggs. The offspring of birds are often hatched naked and with their eyes closed. The hatchling relies totally on its parents for feeding and warmth. Hatchlings precede nestlings in the chick's...
s have black skin and grey down.
There are two subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
which are not very distinct and almost form a continuous cline
Cline (population genetics)
In biology, an ecocline or simply cline describes an ecotone in which a series of biocommunities display continuous gradient...
, with an extensive intergradation zone in northern Peru:
- Eutoxeres condamini condamini (Bourcier, 1851) – Northern Buff-tailed Sicklebill
- Colombia and Ecuador. Bill longer, lower belly much streaked
- Eutoxeres condamini gracilis BerlepschHans von BerlepschCount Hans Hermann Carl Ludwig von Berlepsch was a German ornithologist.Berlepsch studied zoology at the University of Halle. He used his inherited wealth to sponsor bird collectors in South America, including Jan Kalinowski and Hermann von Ihering...
& Stolzmann, 1902 – Southern Buff-tailed Sicklebill
- Eutoxeres condamini gracilis Berlepsch
- Central Peru to Bolivia. Bill shorter, lower belly less streaked
The buff outer remiges are the most reliable trait for separating the Buff-tailed Sicklebill from the only other member of the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Eutoxeres
Eutoxeres
Eutoxeres is a genus of hummingbird in the Trochilidae family.The genus contains the following species:* White-tipped Sicklebill * Buff-tailed Sicklebill...
, the White-tipped Sicklebill
White-tipped Sicklebill
The White-tipped Sicklebill is a species of hummingbird in the Trochilidae family.It is found in Costa Rica and Panama of Central America, and Colombia, Ecuador, and far northern Peru. There is also a single recent record from Mérida in Venezuela.Its natural habitat is the undergrowth of...
(E. aquila), which has a more northerly distribution. The Eutoxeres species are somewhat sympatric however, for example in the foothills of Putumayo around Mocoa
Mocoa
Mocoa is a municipality and capital city of the department of Putumayo in Colombia.The city is located in the northwest of the Putumayo department. The municipality borders the departments of Nariño to the west and Cauca to the north.-External links:...
, Colombia.
Ecology
It is restricted to the undergrowth of humid forested and wooded habitatHabitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s, recorded from 590-10,800 ft (180-3,300 m) ASL
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
. It will tolerate more habitat disturbance than its congener
Congener
Congener has several different meanings depending on the field in which it is used. Colloquially, it is used to mean a person or thing like another, in character or action.-Biology:In biology, congeners are organisms within the same genus...
, regularly occurring in plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
s, bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
stands and open habitat where populations are healthy, though it still prefers natural vegetation. Nothing precise is known about its movements, though it is presumed that the birds are non-migratory. The peculiar bill is an adaption to the shape of certain flowers, namely of the genera
Genera
Genera is a commercial operating system and development environment for Lisp machines developed by Symbolics. It is essentially a fork of an earlier operating system originating on the MIT AI Lab's Lisp machines which Symbolics had used in common with LMI and Texas Instruments...
Centropogon
Centropogon
Centropogon is a plant genus in the family Campanulaceae. In systems where the Lobeliaceae are recognized as distinct, Centropogon is placed there....
and Heliconia
Heliconia
Heliconia, derived from the Greek word helikonios, is a genus of about 100 to 200 species of flowering plants native to the tropical Americas and the Pacific Ocean islands west to Indonesia. Many species of Heliconia are found in rainforests or tropical wet forests of these regions...
. It feeds mainly by trap-lining
Trap-lining
Trap-lining or trap line refers to a feeding strategy amongst certain families of birds, notably hummingbirds and woodpeckers. These birds visit a circuit of specific plants, trees, or other feeding sites, much as trappers check their lines of traps....
. In addition to nectar, it will also catch small arthropods.
The two white eggs are laid in a nest which is attached to the underside of a leaf, a few yards/meters above ground. In the southern Cordillera Oriental of Colombia, nest construction was observed in July or August, and in the lowlands of Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
's Napo Province
Napo Province
Napo is a province in Ecuador. Its capital is Tena. The province contains the Napo River. The province is low developed without much industrial presence. The thick rainforest is home to many natives that remain isolated by preference, descendents of those who fled the Spanish invasion in the Andes,...
in January. Birds with enlarged gonad
Gonad
The gonad is the organ that makes gametes. The gonads in males are the testes and the gonads in females are the ovaries. The product, gametes, are haploid germ cells. For example, spermatozoon and egg cells are gametes...
s were found in Peru from September to November. Only the female incubates; the incubation period is 16–18 days and the young fledge
Fledge
Fledge is the stage in a young bird's life when the feathers and wing muscles are sufficiently developed for flight. It also describes the act of a chick's parents raising it to a fully grown state...
22–24 days after hatching. They start to breed when they are 1–2 years old.
Generally fairly common though inconspicuous and easily overlooked, it is considered a species of Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
by the IUCN. This species is most easily seen in the mixed habitat of old and young forest and small-scale logging at the Napo River
Napo River
The Napo is a tributary to the Amazon River that rises in Ecuador on the flanks of the volcanoes of Antisana, Sincholagua and Cotopaxi.The total length of 1075 km. Catchment area of 100,518 square kilometers...
in eastern Ecuador.