Image description: Sword-billed hummingbird. Bright green and purple hummingbird with a very, very long beak
(Originally published on mstdn.social: 2024-02-21)
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This is a sword-billed hummingbird of South America in the genus Ensifera. It is the only bird whose bill is longer than its entire body (excluding its tail feathers.)
The extremely long bill helps them feed on a specific flower passiflora mixta with long corollas which are not accessible to other species.
Most hummers use their bills to clean/preen but these longfaced fellows can only use their feet because their bills are too long!