Sword-billed Hummingbird
Isn’t that bill amazingly long! What a species to see!! A sighting of a Sword-billed Hummingbird is a highlight of any visit to its mountainous habitat in the Andes of South America. Not surprisingly, it is the only member of its genus. That long bill enables it to take nectar from flower species with long corollas, such as Passionflower. The bill is also used to take insects in flight, an example of avian dexterity. Given its bill length, preening is done with the feet. As shown in this image, when at rest the bill is held angled upward. This is a large species of hummingbird, weighing between 10-15 grams (about a third to a half of an ounce). This individual was seen at the Observatorio de Colibries, a private sanctuary at higher elevation east of Bogota, Colombia.
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Isn’t that bill amazingly long! What a species to see!! A sighting of a Sword-billed Hummingbird is a highlight of any visit to its mountainous habitat in the Andes of South America. Not surprisingly, it is the only member of its genus. That long bill enables it to take nectar from flower species with long corollas, such as Passionflower. The bill is also used to take insects in flight, an example of avian dexterity. Given its bill length, preening is done with the feet. As shown in this image, when at rest the bill is held angled upward. This is a large species of hummingbird, weighing between 10-15 grams (about a third to a half of an ounce). This individual was seen at the Observatorio de Colibries, a private sanctuary at higher elevation east of Bogota, Colombia.