Sword-billed hummingbird, Jardin, Colombia

I was happily flashing along a great feeder site near Jardin, when this stunning creature landed right in front of me. I was absolutely speechless. Henriette saw the twinkle in my eyes, and knew that we would be here for a while. I added insult to injury by saying that we won't leave before I have an in-flight shot of this one.

This bird is the only known bird in the world where the beak is longer than its entire body. It is so long that it is forced to stand as it does on the photo, otherwise it would tip over. Its beak is so long, that unlike other birds, I cannot groom its feathers using its beak, it has to use its feet for that.