Sword-billed Hummingbird
    Image: Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Sword-billed Hummingbird

    Ensifera ensifera

    Iconic Birds
    Least Concern

    Quick Facts

    Mass0.00116 kg

    Facts sourced from Wikidata (CC0).

    The sword-billed hummingbird, also known as the swordbill, is a neotropical species of hummingbird from the Andean regions of South America. It is the only member in the genus Ensifera. Among the largest species of hummingbird, it is characterized by its unusually long bill, 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 bill being so long.

    Description adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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