Sword-billed Hummingbird Photograph by Luis A. Mazariegos
This Colombian male wields a four-inch (ten centimeters) bill, the longest bill relative to body length of any present-day bird. The bill is well suited for siphoning nectar from many flowers, especially those with deep, tubular blossoms. But it's too big for effective preening, so the bird has evolved the longest feet of all hummingbirds and uses them to reach its own back and tail feathers.
Camera: Bronica SQ-A Film Type: Fujichrome Provia Professional Lens: 110mm macro Speed and F-Stop: 1/500 @ f/32
Weather Conditions: Overcast Time of Day: Between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. Lighting Techniques: Flash Special Equipment: Portable studio with a modified Norman 200B flash system
