This week’s header was suggested by Moo, thanks @disqus_6nGGCLBk8m:disqus ! Our bird this week is the sword-billed hummingbird (hereafter SBH), and I would be remiss if I didn’t start by saying that this bird’s Latin name, Ensifera means “sword-wielder,” which I think we can all agree is a kickass name for a tiny bird.  SBH is the only bird whose bill is longer than its body, excluding the tail, and it uses this bill to feed on plant’s whose flowers are very deep.  Although they feed on other flowers, they have co-evolved with Passiflora mixta, a species of passionflower.  Somewhat surprisingly, the SBH also feed on insects, although I wasn’t able to find out if it does so in flight as opposed to more of an opportunistic ambush deal while perched. The SBH is found in the Andes, from western Venezuela south to Bolivia.  Gonna excerpt from Wikipedia for further detail, because while one would think such a specialized creature would live in a very limited set of conditions, that does not appear to be the case.

“It inhabits humid and wet montane forest, forest edges, shrubland, gardens, and patches of páramo at elevations of 1,700–3,500 m (5,600–11,500 ft), but is most common at elevations of 2,400–3,100 m (7,900–10,200 ft).”

The SBH is what’s called a trap-line feeder.  This means it has a set series of places it looks for food, and it checks them all in a regular sequence, like a human hunter checking traps.  This method of feeding is common among hummingbirds, as well as creatures such as bees, butterflies, bats and rats.  Trap-lining can be an advantageous as it allows the animal to meet its caloric needs with a minimum of outlay, spending less time foraging.  This means our tiny new friend has spatial cognition and spatial memory, being able to recall where various places to get food are, and how to get there.  On Thursday I picked Broccoli up from daycare after work, but had to stop at the dry cleaner.  Its a few blocks from our house and the dog has the spatial cognition and memory to know where we were and how to get home, so he took every possible opportunity to turn toward our house rather than where I needed to go.  I ended up carrying him for like a block and a half rather than trying to explain what an errand is to a 12lb puppy.  Poor little guy knew he was close to home and just wanted to get there after his big day.  
Anyway, the SBH’s long bill allows it to feed on flowers without harming them.  Other animals which feed on such flowers get to the nectar by puncturing the bottom of the flower.  SBH is listed as non-threatened, but that is partly due to inhabiting a large geographical range and infrequent sightings by people.  The last link today is to what looks like the personal website of a nature photographer, I recommend checking it out for really, really high definition pictures of the sword-billed hummingbird.  Have a good weekend, everyone!

Links: http://tinyurl.com/3mtaux5u, http://tinyurl.com/56dmmkav,  http://tinyurl.com/4sxdx93f