White-tipped Sicklebill

Eagle's beak ( Eutoxeres aquila )

The eagle's beak or White -throated sickle Schnabel ( Eutoxeres aquila ) is a well known since the mid-19th century, discovered in New Granada hummingbird.

Features

The eagle's beak reaches a body length of 13.5 cm. His body is muscular and strong, its plumage is plain, in contrast to most other species of hummingbirds. The top is shiny dark green, the underside is wide stippled black and white. The tail is rounded and brownish green, the tips of the tail feathers are clearly colored white, the edges of the under tail-coverts bright orange - ocher. The approximately 3 cm long beak is bent almost 90 degrees downward. The lower mandible is yellow.

The subspecies show only slight morphological differences.

Dissemination

The distribution area includes Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama and Peru. 2006, a specimen was caught in Venezuela.

Habitat and behavior

The eagle's beak inhabits the undergrowth of the tropical rain forest, secondary forests and forest edges and can be found up to altitudes of 2100 m. You see him as a rule individually in the undergrowth. Its flight is slow, with audible wing beats. It feeds mainly on nectar from heliconias, Columnea ( from the family of Gesneriad ) and Centropogon species ( from the family of the bellflower family). When probing the corolla often he clings firmly to the plants. He also takes insects from tree trunks and branches. As far as known all breeding activities are carried out by the female, like all hummingbirds they lay two eggs.

System

We have described three subspecies:

• Eutoxeres aquila salvini Gould, 1868 - Costa Rica to western Colombia.
• Eutoxeres aquila heterura Gould, 1868 - Western Andes from southwestern Colombia to western Ecuador.
• Eutoxeres aquila aquila - Eastern Andes from Colombia to northern Peru.