Buff-tailed Sicklebill vs Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Eutoxeres condamini compared with Nesophlox lyrura
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Buff-tailed Sicklebill | Lyre-tailed Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Eutoxeres condamini | Nesophlox lyrura |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 13.7 cm (5.4 in) | 8.0 cm (3.1 in) |
| Weight | 9.98 g (0.35 oz) | 2.425 g (0.09 oz) |
| Diet | Nectar and arthropod feeder; hovers to extract nectar from pendant flowers and snatches small insects … | Nectarivore probing tubular flowers in humid forest. Supplements nectar diet with small insects and spiders … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Buff-tailed Sicklebill
Sharp, scratchy chip note repeated rapidly; dry staccato delivery with rough texture, audible during competitive interactions.
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Sharp, emphatic chip note with metallic quality; single clean staccato sound repeated at measured intervals.
Geographic Range & Migration
Buff-tailed Sicklebill
Found in the eastern Andes from Colombia and Ecuador south to Bolivia at 400–1,500 m. Resident in forest undergrowth at Heliconia flowers.
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Endemic to Jamaica. Resident in forests and gardens across the island from lowlands to highlands.
Conservation Status
Buff-tailed Sicklebill
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Buff-tailed Sicklebill
Green-bronze upperparts; buff and dark brown heavily streaked underparts; buff-tipped tail feathers; strongly sickle-shaped curved bill; sexes similar; buff tail tips distinguish from White-tipped Sicklebill; Andean foothills specialist.
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Mexican Woodnymph: males with glittering violet gorget; metallic green above; white flanks; females green above; spotted white below
About These Birds
Buff-tailed Sicklebill
A medium-sized hummingbird (12-14 cm) with a strongly decurved bill for feeding on curved tropical flowers. Green plumage with a buff-tipped tail. Found in Andean foothill forests from Colombia to Bolivia. A specialized nectarivore of Heliconia and related plants.
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
A small hummingbird (10-11 cm) endemic to Jamaica. Males have a deeply forked, lyre-shaped tail. Green plumage. Nectarivore of forest and garden flowers. Recently split from Bahama Woodstar. A Jamaican near-endemic.