Sword-billed Hummingbird
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- For the orthopteran suborder Ensifera, commonly known as crickets, see : Ensifera
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 Sword-billed Hummingbird
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| Ensifera ensifera (Boissonneau, 1840) |
Sword-billed Hummingbird (Ensifera ensifera) is a species of hummingbird from South America and the sole member of the genus Ensifera.
It is noted as the only species of bird to have a bill longer than the rest of its body. This adaptation is to feed on flowers with long corollas such as Passiflora mixta. The tongue is therefore also unusually long.
Since the Sword-billed Hummingbird's beak is very long, it grooms itself with its feet.[citation needed] The total length can be 15 cm (6 in) and the bird can weigh 12 grams, making it one of the largest hummingbirds.
[edit] External links
- Mangoverde world bird guide
- University of Puget Sound
- Photograph by Nate Chappell on naturephotographers.net
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