White-tipped Sicklebill is one of the most sought-after specialties of the Canopy Lodge, in El Valle, Panama. A reliable spot is found
above Chorro Macho, where a small stand of bamboo hosts a few heliconia flowers, the primary, if not only, food source of this remarkable creature. In May of 2006 I viewed one briefly in the company of Tino Sanchez, but, on my last day at the Lodge, with
a few hours to kill between my father's departure and my own airport transfer for points west, I decided to stake out this location at length. I wisely decided to review the call of the sicklebill before this expedition; I did not see the bird fly in, but
heard it vocalizing softly. It was resting on a branch downslope from me, and I slowly and painstakingly (and literally) crawled to a spot from which I could film the bird. Its perch was quite well-hidden, as evidenced by the poor quality of the image at right,
but it seemed quite unperturbed by my presence but ten feet away, and I filmed it at length until I quietly slipped away, the bird still undisturbed and at rest.
White-tipped Sicklebill is what is known as a "trapline" feeder (as are many hermit hummingbirds), regularly following a circuit of known heliconia flowers (pictured below). Heliconia is also known as "Devil's Claw", for somewhat obvious reasons.
The curved bill of the Sicklebill is perfectly designed to dip into the deep well of the flower, and the relationship between the hummingbird
and its food plant is most likely mutually beneficial. I would bet that, if I took a close look at a heliconia, I would find the pollen-bearing
stamen positioned right over the opening of the flower, where the bird cannot help but brush against it. As the White-tipped Sicklebill faithfully and almost exclusively visits other heliconias spread over a fairly wide area, it is likely a very effective
agent of cross-pollination. This food source fidelity is also a boon to birders, as one can stake out a known feeding site, as I did, and eventually be almost guaranteed
a sighting of the magnificent White-tipped Sicklebill.
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