A visit to the Santuario de Colibríes—Ensifera Camp provides amazing hummingbird encounters in the Sacred Valley. Our excellent guide and birder, Enrique Castillo, recommended it to our group, and I’m so glad he did.( Our trip to Peru was arranged with Holbrook Travel, and I highly recommend them for anyone interested in sustainable travel and understanding cultural and natural diversity.)
The Sword-billed Hummingbird
The star of this sanctuary is the sword-billed hummingbird, the only bird in the world with a beak longer than its body. This enormous bill requires the bird to perch with its beak angled upward for balance. Additionally, it forces the bird to use its feet for grooming and preening, unlike other hummingbirds, which use their beaks to spread oil across their feathers.
The sword-billed hummingbird has a mutualistic relationship with a type of passionflower (Passiflora mixta). The flower’s long corolla tube makes it inaccessible to nearly every other species, so it relies on the swordbill for pollination. In return, the hummingbird enjoys a high-quality food source without competition from other birds.
The swordbill also feeds at the sanctuary’s feeders, offering visitors wonderful views and photo opportunities. However, it is not the only remarkable hummingbird at the sanctuary.
Giant Hummingbird
The giant hummingbird is the largest hummingbird in the world, with an 8-inch wingspan and a size comparable to an American robin. Although it isn’t as dazzling as many other hummingbirds, with its drab gray, olive-green feathers, it still puts on an impressive acrobatic show, albeit at a slower pace than its more diminutive cousins.
Sparkling Violetear
Another favorite is the sparkling violetear. It’s fairly common in the highlands of South America, but it’s always a treat to see. Bluish-violet little “plumes” flair out over its ears when it’s excited. The rest of its body feathers are a metallic green with a bluish-violet patch on its stomach. It’s easy how it got its “sparkling” name.
During our hour-long visit, we saw a total of 17 species of birds and countless gorgeous flowers. (See my eBird list for this location.)The close encounters of the hummingbird kind added to our appreciation of the wonders of the Sacred Valley.
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