Sword-billed Hummingbird
Ensifera ensifera
- Family
- Hummingbirds (Trochilidae)
- Order
- Apodiformes
Overview
The sword-billed hummingbird (Ensifera ensifera), 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.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Diet: Nectar from long-tubed flowers.
How to identify it
- The only bird with a bill longer than its body (tail excluded)
- Perches with the bill pointed upward
- Feeds at long-tubed flowers such as passionflowers
Voice
Low trilled calls.
Where to see it
- Yanacocha, Ecuador
- Andes of Colombia and Peru
Range and habitat
Andes of western Venezuela to northeastern Bolivia.
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Sword-billed hummingbird
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.
