White-tipped Sicklebill vs Great Sapphirewing
Eutoxeres aquila compared with Pterophanes cyanopterus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | White-tipped Sicklebill | Great Sapphirewing |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Eutoxeres aquila | Pterophanes cyanopterus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 14.1 cm (5.6 in) | 21.0 cm (8.3 in) |
| Weight | 11.366666666666667 g (0.40 oz) | 10.05 g (0.35 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds on floral nectar and small invertebrates; males defend nectar-rich territories against other hummingbirds. | Nectarivore of high Andean cloud forest and treeline; one of the largest hummingbirds. Visits Ericaceae … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
White-tipped Sicklebill
Rapid, sibilant twittering; light, feathery notes cascading quickly with barely perceptible pauses between loose phrases.
Great Sapphirewing
Buzzy, insect-like trill with pulsing rhythm; high-frequency vibration with slight amplitude modulation near flowers.
Geographic Range & Migration
White-tipped Sicklebill
Found in humid forests from Costa Rica south through Panama to western Ecuador. Resident at 200–1,600 m in dense undergrowth with Heliconia.
Great Sapphirewing
Found in high Andean cloud forests and páramo from Colombia south through Ecuador and Peru to Bolivia. 2,400–3,800 m.
Conservation Status
White-tipped Sicklebill
Great Sapphirewing
How to Tell Them Apart
White-tipped Sicklebill
Dark brown and buff striped underparts; green-bronze upperparts; white-tipped tail feathers; extremely curved sickle-shaped bill; sexes similar; Andean heliconia specialist with diagnostic strongly decurved bill and boldly streaked underparts.
Great Sapphirewing
About These Birds
White-tipped Sicklebill
A medium-sized hummingbird (12-14 cm) with a dramatically decurved bill, adapted for extracting nectar from curved Heliconia flowers. Green plumage with a buff-streaked breast and white-tipped tail. Found in humid forests from Costa Rica to Peru. A specialized pollinator.
Great Sapphirewing
A large hummingbird (18 cm, wingspan 28 cm) found in Andean cloud forests from Colombia to Bolivia at 2,500-3,500 m. Brilliant sapphire-blue wings, green body, and long tail. One of the largest hummingbirds. Nectarivore of montane forest, visiting large-flowered Ericaceae.