The
sword-billed hummingbird (
Ensifera ensifera), also known as the swordbill, is a
neotropical species of
hummingbird from the
Andean regions of South America. Among the largest species of hummingbird, it is characterized by its unusually long
beak, being the only bird to have a beak longer than the rest of its body, excluding the tail. It uses its bill to drink
nectar from flowers with long
corollas, and has
coevolved with the species
Passiflora mixta. While most hummingbirds
preen using their bills, the sword-billed hummingbird uses its feet to scratch and preen due to its beak being so long. This sword-billed hummingbird was photographed perching on a branch at Hacienda El Bosque in
Manizales, Colombia.
Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp
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