Sword-billed hummingbird

The sword-billed hummingbird's bill can measure up to about 10 centimeters (roughly 4 inches) long, exceeding the length of its body excluding the tail. This makes it the only bird species in the world whose bill is longer than the rest of its body.

The sword-billed hummingbird has co-evolved with deep-tubed flowers, particularly certain species of Passiflora (passion flowers) and Datura, whose long corollas match the bird's extraordinary bill length. It is one of the few pollinators capable of reaching nectar at the base of these flowers.

The species is found along the Andes mountain range from Venezuela through Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, extending south into Bolivia. It typically inhabits humid montane forest and forest edges at elevations between approximately 1,700 and 3,500 meters.

The bird must tilt its head sharply upward when perched so that its extremely long bill does not hit the branch beneath it. This distinctive upward-angled posture is one of the easiest field marks for identifying the species in its Andean habitat.