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Now I'm not saying he's a liar (media.mstdn.social)

submitted 8 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Image description: Sword-billed hummingbird. Bright green and purple hummingbird with a very, very long beak

(Originally published earlier today on mstdn.social)

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

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!