The sword-billed hummingbird has exclusive access to food that other birds simply cannot reach, but having such a long bill does have its drawbacks.
The sword-billed hummingbird is a neotropical species of hummingbird from the Andean regions of South America. It is the sole member of the genus Ensifera and is characterized by its unusually long bill; it is the only bird to have a beak longer than the rest of its body.
Squeezed between the Andes and the Pacific, Chile is sometimes called the longest country in the world. It is never more than 180 km wide, but its coastline extends over 4,300 km. It’s unusual long shape has given it a varied climate with one of the world’s driest desert in the north, while its southern tip is home to cold-weather creatures like penguins. Chile is also one of the closest nations, along with Argentina and New Zealand, to Antarctica. Here’s a look at the best places to visit in Chile:
These sharp-toothed water dwellers are more than capable of stripping a carcass clean in mere moments.
A piranha or piraña, a member of family Serrasalmidae, or a member of the subfamily Serrasalminae within the tetra family, Characidae in order Characiformes, is a freshwater fish that inhabits South American rivers, floodplains, lakes and reservoirs.
THE PEAKS IN THE AUSANGATE MOUNTAIN region of the Peruvian Andes are all uncommonly colored: Some are terra cotta, some lavender, others are a vibrant turquoise. They’re colored by the sediment and atmosphere of the area, unique because of its altitude and isolation close to the ocean. But none are quite so marvelous as Vinicunca, also known as Rainbow Mountain, Winikunka, Montaña de Colores, and Montaña de Siete Colores.
Porto Alegre is the capital city of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, in southern Brazil. On the main square, Praça Marechal Deodoro, is the Renaissance-style Metropolitan Cathedral, with religious murals on the outside. The neoclassical Piratini Palace houses the state government. The 19th-century São Pedro Theater is nearby. The city is known as a gateway to the tall canyons of Aparados da Serra National Park.
Jaguars roam the rainforests of South America silently and well camouflaged. But their habitat is dwindling and ranchers see them as a threat. Yet two brothers are fighting misconceptions and want to project them.
Join a local in Brazil on his adventure boat tour at the Iguaçu Falls in the state of Paraná. Garon Piceli will also take you the city of Foz do Iguaçu as well as to the Iguaçu National Park. He will show you to the Omar Ibn Al-Khattab Mosque and the Dreamland, South America’s largest wax museum.
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with territories in North America. Colombia is bounded on the north by the Caribbean Sea, the northwest by Panama, the south by Ecuador and Peru, the east by Venezuela, the southeast by Brazil, and the west by the Pacific Ocean.
Kayaker Aniol Serrasolses descended a snowy mountain in his kayak before reaching a river where he performed a world-first flip off a waterfall.
The Araucanía Region of central Chile encompasses terrain ranging from the west’s Pacific coastline to volcanoes and the Andes mountains in the east. Its southeast, with many freshwater lakes and temperate rainforest, forms part of the Chilean Lake District. Nature reserves, including Huerquehue National Park and Conguillío National Park, protect ecosystems with lakes, rivers and forests of monkey puzzle conifers.
Balneário Camboriú is a resort city in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. It’s known for its high-rise buildings and beaches like Praia Central. Bars, restaurants and shops line Avenida Atlântica, a busy boulevard next to the beach. Unipraias Park sits at the mouth of the Rio Camboriú, offering city views from zip lines and cable cars. The Cristo Luz Monument, a huge statue of Christ, overlooks the city.
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