Sword-billed Hummingbird

Ensifera ensifera (Boissonneau, 1840)

Trochilidae — Hummingbirds

Sword-billed Hummingbird, Ensifera ensifera, breeds in western Venezuela to north-western Bolivia in the Andean parts of South America. It is a hummingbird in the family Trochilidae and the only species in its genus. Its most notable feature is its exceptionally long bill, which is longer than the rest of its body apart from the tail. That bill is used to take nectar from flowers with long corollas, and the species has a close link with Passiflora mixta. It also feeds on insects and uses its feet for scratching and preening.

Order
Apodiformes
Family
Trochilidae — Hummingbirds
Breeding range
South America: w Venezuela to ne Bolivia
Sword-billed Hummingbird
© Andy Morffew from Itchen Abbas, Hampshire, UK · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Tours where you can spot this bird

14 tours in Ecuador 8, Peru 6

Ecuador Birding with Nature Travel Birding
Ecuador Birding with Nature Travel Birding
Ecuador / Quito Group tour 14 days

Experience an exclusive journey through one of the world’s most bird-rich countries, exploring Ecuador’s high-Andean páramo, volcanic l...

Next: Jul 28, 2027
Two-Day High Andes Birding from Birds Hotel Molino
Two-Day High Andes Birding from Birds Hotel Molino
Peru / Ollantaytambo Group tour 2 days

Two days in Abra Malaga, Patacancha and the Birds Hotel Molino gardens, focused on Polylepis birds, puna specialists, antpittas, tapaculos a...

Six-Day Andean Endemics and Cloud Forest Birding with Birds Hotel Molino
Six-Day Andean Endemics and Cloud Forest Birding with Birds Hotel Molino
Peru / Ollantaytambo Group tour 6 days

A six-day route linking Sacred Valley hummingbird gardens, cloud forest, Abra Malaga highlands and Huaypo wetlands, with Birds Hotel Molino ...

Manu Road Hummingbird Photography Journey, 7 Days
Manu Road Hummingbird Photography Journey, 7 Days
Peru / Cusco Private tour 7 days

Seven days along the Manu Road, linking Wayqecha, San Pedro and lower-elevation hummingbird gardens for an intensive photographic exploratio...

Eight-Day Sacred Valley and Cloud Forest Birding with Birds Hotel Molino
Eight-Day Sacred Valley and Cloud Forest Birding with Birds Hotel Molino
Peru / Ollantaytambo Group tour 8 days

An eight-day journey from Sacred Valley hummingbird gardens to cloud forest, Abra Málaga, Patacancha and Huaypo wetlands, with Birds Hotel ...

8-Day High Andes and Chocó Birding Journey
8-Day High Andes and Chocó Birding Journey
Ecuador / Quito Private tour 8 days

Follow an eight-day birding circuit from Quito through high-Andean forest, Chocó cloud forest and lowland reserves, ending among Antisana�...

Private 12-Day Chocó Andino and East Slope Birding Tour
Private 12-Day Chocó Andino and East Slope Birding Tour
Ecuador / Quito Private tour 12 days

Cross Ecuador’s northwest cloud forests and Andean east slope on a private 12-day route from Chocó reserves and Mindo to Antisana and Ama...

From USD 4,800
Private 3–7 Day Chocó Andino Birding Tour
Private 3–7 Day Chocó Andino Birding Tour
Ecuador / Mindo Private tour 7 days

Choose a three- to seven-day private Chocó Andino programme linking Mindo cloud forest, specialist reserves and feeder sites, with the full...

From USD 1,050
Zuroloma Reserve Private Birding and Photography Day Tour
Zuroloma Reserve Private Birding and Photography Day Tour
Ecuador / Quito Private tour 1 day

Visit Zuroloma Reserve from Quito for a private day of cloud-forest birding and photography focused on antpittas and high-Andean hummingbird...

From USD 130
Private 9-Day Mindo and Amazon Foothills Birding Expedition
Private 9-Day Mindo and Amazon Foothills Birding Expedition
Ecuador / Mindo 9 days

Connect Mindo’s Choco cloud forest, high-Andean habitat and the eastern Amazon foothills on a private nine-day birding and photography jou...

Private 4-Day Mindo Cloud Forest Birdwatching Tour
Private 4-Day Mindo Cloud Forest Birdwatching Tour
Ecuador / Mindo 4 days

Follow a private four-day route from Yanacocha’s high Andean forest into Mindo’s Choco cloud forest for focused birding and photography....

Hummingbirds of Cusco at Ensifera Camp - Half Day
Hummingbirds of Cusco at Ensifera Camp - Half Day
Peru / Cusco Private tour 5h

A gentle morning in the Ensifera Camp hummingbird garden, with most viewing from a hide among native flowers. The half-day format suits both...

From USD 90
Ensifera Camp Hummingbird Birding and Photography Day
Ensifera Camp Hummingbird Birding and Photography Day
Peru / Cusco Private tour 1 day

A relaxed full-day visit from Cusco to Ensifera Camp in the Sacred Valley, with extended time at hummingbird feeders and photography areas....

From USD 225
Northern Ecuador Birding Paradise
Northern Ecuador Birding Paradise
Ecuador / Mindo Private tour 11 days

An 11-day private birding journey through Quito, Mindo, Choco cloud forest reserves, antpitta sites, Rio Silanche, Paz de las Aves, and Anti...