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The Sword-billed Hummingbird
An amazing adaptation comes with a few challenges
© Andy Morffew
To out-sip their competition, Sword-billed Hummingbirds have a distinct adaptation: these birds’ beaks are longer than their bodies. Found in temperate forests from Venezuela to Bolivia, these hummingbirds rely entirely on tube-like flowers that other species could never reach. While most birds can use their tongues to clean their feathers, the Sword-billed Hummingbird’s long beak gets in the way – so they use their legs to scratch themselves instead.
BirdNote®
The Sword-billed Hummingbird
Written by Benjamin Swift
This is BirdNote.
[Sword-billed Hummingbird flapping wings]
Birds in the subtropics of the Andes Mountains have to be creative to get their share of food from the forest. To out-sip their competition, Sword-billed Hummingbirds have a distinct adaptation: these birds’ beaks are longer than their bodies.
[Sword-billed Hummingbird calling in flight]
Found in temperate forests from Venezuela to Bolivia, these hummingbirds have co-evolved with various flower species to create a niche food source. They rely entirely on tube-like flowers that other species could never reach.
[Sword-billed Hummingbird flapping wings]
While their swordlike beaks are handy for reaching a snack undisturbed by others, a beak that long doesn’t come without challenges. For one thing, it’s difficult to keep clean. The solution: sliding it back and forth against tree branches, like a knight sharpening their blade.
Then there’s the problem of cleaning their feathers. Most birds can easily use their tongues, since they don’t have a big awkward beak to get in the way. Instead, Sword-billed Hummingbirds put their flexibility to the test and clean themselves with a good ‘ol scratch from their legs.
[Sword-billed Hummingbird flapping wings]
So, one big adaptation leads to new challenges. But these clever birds are up to the job.
For BirdNote, I’m Ariana Remmel.
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Senior Producer: John Kessler
Producer: Mark Bramhill
Managing Editor: Jazzi Johnson
Managing Producer: Conor Gearin
Content Director: Jonese Franklin
Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Sword-billed Hummingbird ML335010891 recorded by Mauricio Alvarez, and Sword-billed Hummingbird ML326210021 recorded by Josep del Hoyo. Sword-billed Hummingbird ML260830 recorded by M Hernandez
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2023 BirdNote December 2023
Narrator: Ariana Remmel
ID# SWBHUM-01-2023-12-12 SWBHUM-01
Reference
https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/swbhum1/cur/introduction
https://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?avibaseid=191F838FFB97AC1B
Benjamin Swift
Writer