Photographer: Bobby Wilcox   Destination: Ecuador

 

 

Our Image of the month’s featured bird this month is the Sword-billed Hummingbird, a species with a bizarrely disproportionate bill to body ratio, that goes to great lengths to occupy an ecological niche that other hummingbirds can’t reach!

 

Its bill, longer than its body, is perfectly adapted for feeding from deep tubular flowers such as passionflowers and brugmansias. This unique adaptation makes it the only bird on earth whose bill exceeds the rest of its body length. As an added bonus, the plant species it is so specially adapted to feed on, get a dedicated pollinator. The co-evolution between this species and flower type is so distinctive that the hummingbird’s distribution matches many of the flower species it feeds on. This hefty weapon of a bill is far too long to use for preening, so the Sword-billed Hummingbird has evolved to use its feet and claws to scratch and groom its feathers. Unlike most hummingbirds, which perch with their bills tilted downward, this species rests with its head angled up to prevent fatigue from the weight of its bill.

 

Found along the Andean slopes from Venezuela to Bolivia, it is especially abundant in Ecuador, where it frequents high-elevation cloud forests between 2,500 and 3,800 meters. Ecuador also ranks 2nd in the world for hummingbird diversity with an impressive 132 species recorded. Colombia however takes first place with an amazing 165 species!

 

Ecuador’s Eastern Andes provide the perfect setting for encounters with the Sword-billed Hummingbird, as well as many others. From the snow-capped peaks and páramo near Papallacta Pass to the lush cloud forests of Guango Lodge and Wildsumaco Wildlife Sanctuary, our tours here trace a continuous gradient of habitats alive with hummingbirds, tanagers, and quetzals. Here we also target Andean Condor, Torrent Duck, Golden-headed Quetzal, and Carunculated Caracara among breathtaking scenery. 

 

The Northwestern Chocó Cloud Forest complements this experience with a different suite of species, including Velvet-purple Coronet, Plate-billed Mountain Toucan, and Club-winged Manakin. To the east, the Amazon lowlands open into one of the richest biomes on Earth, where Hoatzin, Wire-crested Thorntail, and Fiery-throated Fruiteater headline an astonishing diversity of more than 600 species.

 

Other remarkable species, with the most delightful names, can be found through Ecuador’s special habitats and include Gould’s Jewelfront, Black-tailed Trainbearer, Long-tailed Sylph, Chestnut-breasted Coronet, Tourmaline Sunangel, Glowing Puffleg, and Rainbow-bearded Thornbill, each adding to the spectacle of hummingbird variety that defines birding in Ecuador.

 

Across these regions, the Sword-billed Hummingbird remains one of Ecuador’s most sought-after birds, intriguing all who see it. Its unexpected elegance while dealing with its improbable proportions are fascinating to watch.