Fabulous Freaks of Mother Nature

This is a sword-bill hummingbird skeleton.

 

Ensifera ensifera is the only bird to have a bill longer than the rest of its body.  The bill is so out of proportion that this bird has to groom itself with its feet rather than with its bill. 

 

This spear of a bill is due to the fact that this hummingbird harvests nectar from the bottom of very deep trumpet-shaped datura flowers that are found high up in the Andes.

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