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.
Image: Sword billed hummingbird (male) at Guango Lodge, Ecuador (21310837273)
Image: Ensifera ensifera (Pico de sable) (14182491210)
Female sword-billed hummingbird feeding in flight
The long corolla of Passiflora mixta is coevolved with the bird's bill as a pollination strategy.
Hummingbirds are birds native to the Americas and comprise the biological family Trochilidae. With approximately 366 species and 113 genera, they occur from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, but most species are found in Central and South America. As of 2024, 21 hummingbird species are listed as endangered or critically endangered, with numerous species declining in population.
Hummingbird
Adult male bee hummingbird, Cuba
Close-up of toe arrangement in a ruby-throated hummingbird foot, showing three claw-like toes forward and one backward.
A nesting female Allen's hummingbird
