#apodiformes

[herpsandbirds]

Snowcap (Microchera albocoronata), male, family Trochilidae, order Apodiformes, Costa Rica

photograph by Cayce Jehaimi

[birds-that-screm]

White-tipped Sicklebill (Eutoxeres aquila)

© Pablo Ortega

[best-bird-tournament]

Apodiformes order - RUNOFF

Which is the best bird?

Bee hummingbird

Chimney swift

Voting ended onFeb 14

[iridescent-wildlife]

Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris). Family Trochilidae, order Apodiformes.

Cushing, Oklahoma, USA. September 2022.

[supremebirdbracket]

The Apodiformes winner...

...is the chimney swift! This quirky little bird won against all its bejeweled hummingbird cousins, which I think is pretty impressive!

Congrats chimney swift!!

[fullfrontalbirds]

Allen's Hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin)

© Ruslan Balagansky

[awkwardbirdsdreaming]

January Endangered birds 3 (#62) - the Short-crested Coquette (CR)

[Male depicted]

This hummingbird has only been found on a single road in southern Mexico. And not even the entire road - just 25km of it!

Are there more hidden in the mountains nearby? We don't really know. Until more are found, they are listed as Critically Endangered, just in case. The population is probably less than 1,500 and declining, especially since there is continual habitat loss in the area.

[have-you-seen-this-animal]

sword billed hummingbird pls :3 just found out they exist today and i love them. they look like they belong in a star wars movie. ridiculous animal

They are so impressive! What a cool adaptation.

Have you seen the sword-billed hummingbird (Ensifera ensifera)?

I have now

Yes, in photos/videos

Yes, irl

I'm not sure

Voting ended onDec 14, 2025

I believe the first photo is of a female, and the second is of a male. Please correct this post if I'm incorrect! These hummingbirds are the only birds whose beak is longer than their body (excluding their tail). Their beak is so long that they cannot preen with it, and instead rely entirely upon their feet.