Meet 17 Petite Birds with Unique Long Beaks – A Closer Look

The bird world is full of variety, with thousands of species differing in size, shape, and color. Each bird has its own special job to do, based on its features.

For example, the Osprey is built for hunting fish with its sharp claws, while the Northern Cardinal’s big beak helps it munch on fruits and seeds. Then there’s the Anna’s Hummingbird, with its long beak perfect for sipping nectar from flowers.

In this article, we’ll focus on small birds with long beaks. They’re found all over, and they often enjoy nectar and soft foods. So let’s explore 16 of these charming birds, from the unique Sword-billed Hummingbird to the colorful Rufous-tailed Jacamar, which looks a bit like a tiny kingfisher.

Here is a list of the 17 small birds with long beaks:

1. Sword-billed Hummingbird:

• Scientific Name: Ensifera ensifera
• Diet: Nectar from flowers, small insects
• Location: Andes Mountains in South America
• Habitat: Montane forest, cloud forest
• Length: 13–14 cm 
• Weight: 10–15 grams
• Beak length can exceed 10 cm
• Appearance: Green body with a blackish-green tail, a long, straight, sword-like beak, and white underparts.

The Sword-billed Hummingbird is an extraordinary bird known for its long, thin beak, which is longer than its body! It’s found in the forests of northwestern South America all year.

Male Sword-billed Hummingbirds have a coppery head with white spots behind their eyes, dark green upperparts, and a black throat. Females look similar but have whiter underparts with green spots.

These hummingbirds mainly drink nectar from long flowers and eat insects for protein because of their unique bill shape.

2. Green Hermit:

• Scientific Name: Phaethornis guy
• Diet: Nectar, small insects
• Location: Central America and Northern South America
• Habitat: Wet lowland forests, montane forests
• Length: 13–15 cm
• Weight: 6-7 grams
• Appearance: Mostly green body with a darker green tail and a long, decurved beak
  

The Green Hermit is a notable hummingbird with its distinct green feathers and long, curved beak. It’s a large bird compared to other hummingbirds.

You can find these beautiful birds in the humid forests and woodlands from Central America to northern South America.

Their unique beak shape is perfect for sipping nectar from long, tubular flowers that match their curve. While they mostly feed on nectar, they also snack on insects and spiders from time to time.

One fascinating behavior of the Green Hermit is traplining, where it follows a set route to visit different plants for food in a specific order. If you want to learn more about hummingbirds, check out our Hummingbird Species Guide for more detailed information.

3. Long-billed Starthroat:

• Scientific Name: Heliomaster longirostris
• Diet: Nectar, small insects
• Location: Central America and Northern South America
• Habitat: Tropical forests, gardens
• Length: 10-11 cm
• Weight:  6-7 grams
• Appearance: Green upperparts, long beak, white underparts with a red stripe on the throat.

Long-billed Starthroat is another dazzling member of the hummingbird family. The males are especially striking, sporting shimmering green feathers and a vibrant red throat. Their long, slender bill is perfect for reaching deep into tubular flowers to extract nectar.

These stunning birds are found throughout Central and South America, particularly in forest edges and open areas.

While their main food source is nectar, they sometimes snack on small insects, just like many other hummingbirds.

4. Long-billed Hermit:

• Scientific Name: Phaethornis longirostris
• Diet: Nectar, small insects
• Location: Central America
• Habitat: Forest undergrowth, plantations
• Length: 15–16 cm
• Weight: 6-7 grams
• Appearance: Green upperparts, long curved beak, brownish underparts.

The Long-billed Hermit is yet another hummingbird sporting an elongated bill. With its green back feathers and rufous wings and tail, it’s easily recognizable. This bird from Central America relies on its long beak to sip nectar from various tropical flowers.

Found in the rainforests of Central America, these birds thrive in deep forests, secondary growth, and plantations. While nectar forms the bulk of their diet, they also catch insects and spiders in flight to supplement their meals.

5. Long-billed Dowitcher:

• Scientific Name: Limnodromus scolopaceus
• Diet: Aquatic invertebrates, insects, and sometimes seeds
• Location: Arctic in North America; migrates to the Southern United States and Central America
• Habitat: Wetlands, marshes
• Length: 29-33 cm 
• Weight: 110–200 grams
• Appearance: Rusty red in summer,  long, straight beak, gray in winter
  

Meet the Long-billed Dowitcher, a small bird often mistaken for a snipe or sandpiper. It measures around 29–31 cm and has a plumage that changes from russet to grey. Its long beak acts like a needle, probing the ground for food, like invertebrates.

These birds love wet habitats like marshes and mudflats, especially during migration and winter. You’ll find them nesting in the North American Arctic Tundra in the summer. They mostly eat invertebrates, but they also enjoy seeds and aquatic plants.

6. Black-tailed Godwit:

• Scientific Name: Limosa limosa
• Diet: Worms, aquatic insects
• Location: Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand
• Habitat: Wetlands, grasslands
• Length: 42–46 cm 
• Weight: 280-340 grams
• Appearance: Brownish upperparts, white underparts, long beak

Meet the elegant Black-tailed Godwit, a bird that’s not exactly small but certainly not large either. The males sport stunning brick-red breeding plumage and a long, straight bill, perfect for foraging in deep water.

These birds are true globetrotters, nesting in northwest Europe and wintering in Africa and Asia. You’ll often spot them in freshwater marshes and estuaries, where they feast on insects, worms, and aquatic plants. During migration and winter, they frequent various wetlands across their route.

7. American Woodcock:

• Scientific Name: Scolopax minor
• Diet: Earthworms, insects
• Location: Eastern North America
• Habitat: Forests, fields
• Length: 27-35 cm
• Weight: 140-230 grams
• Appearance: Brown and gray mottled upperparts, long beak

Say hello to the American Woodcock, a bird master of blending into shadows. Despite its plump, round body, this bird is no pushover. 

Its mottled plumage provides excellent camouflage against predators, and its long bill is a handy tool for probing soil in search of earthworms.

You’ll mostly find these birds in eastern North America, where they favor habitats like young forests and wet meadows. Earthworms are their top choice for dinner, but they’re not picky eaters and will also dine on insects, mollusks, and plants.

8. Common Snipe:

• Scientific Name: Gallinago gallinago
• Diet: Worms, insects
• Location: Europe, Asia, and North America
• Habitat: Marshes, wet grasslands
• Length: 25-27 cm
• Weight: 80–150 grams
• Appearance: Brown with dark stripes and a long beak

Imagine a hide-and-seek champion in the bird world—that’s the Common Snipe. With its excellent camouflage in marshy grasslands, it’s almost invisible. It’s about 25–27 cm long with a long, flexible bill for digging up invertebrates from mud.

You can find Common Snipes across Europe, Asia, and North America. They’re experts in marshy areas, whether they’re freshwater or saltwater. And they love their food muddy—feasting on invertebrates and sometimes plants.

9. Whimbrel:

• Scientific Name: Numenius phaeopus
• Diet: Crustaceans, insects
• Location: North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa
• Habitat: Marshes, coastal areas
• Length: 37–47 cm
• Weight: 270–490 grams
• Appearance: Brownish-gray plumage, long, curved beak

Meet the Whimbrel, a bird with a long, curved beak that always looks serious. They’re a bit bigger than other birds here, about 37–47 cm long, and have brown, streaky feathers with a striped head.

Whimbrels travel all over the world, nesting in the Arctic regions of North America and Eurasia, then heading to Africa, South America, and Australia for winter. They love seafood, using their long beaks to find crabs and mollusks in the sand and mud.

10. Bar-tailed Godwit:

• Scientific Name: Limosa lapponica
• Diet: Worms, aquatic insects
• Location: Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand
• Habitat: Wetlands, grasslands
• Length: 37-41 cm
• Weight: 190–400 grams
• Appearance: Brown with dark bars on the tail and a long beak.

The Bar-tailed Godwit is a slightly smaller relative of the Black-tailed Godwit. It measures about 37–41 cm and has a slightly upturned bill. In its non-breeding season, it sports a dull grey plumage, but during the breeding season, its underparts turn a beautiful rufous color.

These birds breed in the Arctic regions of Eurasia but migrate to warmer areas like Africa, Australasia, and southern Asia when it gets cold. They love coastal areas, where they use their long bills to dig for tasty treats like worms and shellfish.

11. Curve-billed Thrasher:

• Scientific Name: Toxostoma curvirostre
• Diet: Insects, berries, and seeds
• Location: Southwestern U.S. and Mexico
• Habitat: Deserts, thorny scrublands
• Length: 25-28 cm
• Weight: 68–89 grams
• Appearance: Grayish-brown overall with a long, curved beak

Curve-billed Thrasher, a native of the Southwestern U.S. and Mexico. It’s about 26–28 cm long, with grey-brown feathers and a distinct, long, curved bill, tailor-made for desert life.

Unlike some birds, it’s not a fan of marshes or mudflats. Instead, it thrives in desert scrub and spiny succulent forests. Its diet is as diverse as its habitat, enjoying insects, seeds, fruits, and occasionally small lizards.

12. Long-billed Curlew:

• Scientific Name: Numenius americanus
• Diet: Invertebrates, insects, and small vertebrates
• Location: In North America, they spend the winter in Central and South America.
• Habitat: Grasslands, beaches, mudflats
• Length: 50–65 cm
• Weight: 490-950 grams
• Appearance: brown hue and an exceptionally long, downward-curving beak.
  

Introducing the Long-billed Curlew, boasting one of the lengthiest bills among North American birds. This bird is sizable, measuring around 50–65 cm long. With its striking cinnamon-brown plumage and exceptionally long, curved bill, it’s truly unforgettable.

The Long-billed Curlew nests in the grasslands of the Great Plains and Great Basin. During the breeding season, it feasts on insects and small vertebrates. However, on its coastal wintering grounds, it switches to a seafood diet.

13. Kiwi:

• Scientific Name: Apteryx spp
• Diet: Invertebrates, seeds, and worms
• Location: New Zealand
• Habitat: Forests, grasslands
• Length: 35-45 cm
• Weight: 1.3–3.3 kg (varies by species)
• Appearance: Brown, fuzzy, flightless bird with a long beak

The Kiwi may not fly, but it’s unmatched in its uniqueness. This bird from New Zealand stands at 35cm tall and has shaggy, hair-like plumage. Its long beak, about one-third of its body length, is perfect for probing the ground for food.

Kiwi birds are creatures of the forest and prefer solitude. When it comes to dining, they’re true gourmands, enjoying a menu of earthworms, insects, berries, and seeds.

14. Cerulean Kingfisher:

• Scientific Name: Alcedo coerulescens
• Diet: Fish, crustaceans, aquatic insects
• Location: Southeast Asia
• Habitat: Lowland forests, mangroves, and freshwater habitats
• Length: 16–18 cm
• Appearance: Cerulean blue upperparts, white underparts, long, sharp beak

The Cerulean Kingfisher is a stunning, small blue bird with a long beak. Both males and females have bright blue feathers with white patches on their throat, belly, and neck, as well as around their eyes and beak. Females have a bit more of a greenish tint.

These birds are commonly found along rivers, streams, ponds, and mangroves in Indonesia, where they stay year-round.

They mostly eat fish, crustaceans, and insects.

15. Slender-billed Scimitar Babbler:

• Scientific Name: Pomatorhinus superciliaris
• Diet: Insects, small invertebrates
• Location: Southeast Asia
• Habitat: Dense undergrowth of forests and scrublands
• Length: 17–19 cm
• Appearance: Brown plumage, slender body, long, curved beak 
  

Meet the Slender-billed Scimitar Babblers, birds with mostly orange-brown feathers and a long bill that curves downward, resembling a scimitar sword. They have a dark gray head, a whitish throat, and long white stripes above each eye.

These birds call Southeast Asia home, living in thickets and forests all year round. They enjoy a diet of insects, spiders, and berries.

16. Little Spiderhunter:

• Scientific Name: Arachnothera longirostra
• Diet: Nectar, small insects
• Location: Southeast Asia
• Habitat: Forests, gardens
• Length: 11–12 cm
• Appearance: Greenish plumage, long, slender bill

The Little Spiderhunter is a dazzling small bird with a long beak. This slender species sports an olive-green upper side with darker wings, a whitish throat and chest, a yellow belly, and a white and gray face. Males and females look alike.

These birds make their homes in forests, mangroves, forest edges, plantations, and yards across South and Southeast Asia, where they stay year-round.

Despite their name suggesting they feed mainly on spiders, they also enjoy dining on insects and nectar.

17. Eastern Spinebill:

• Scientific Name: Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris
• Diet: Nectar, insects
• Location: Eastern Australia
• Habitat: Woodlands, heathlands, gardens
• Length: 15–16 cm
• Appearance: Black, white, and chestnut plumage, slender curved bill

Meet the Eastern Spinebill, a small bird with a long beak found in Australia, mainly in the eastern parts of the continent. You can spot them in forests, woodlands, heathlands, parks, and even yards.

These petite birds have a distinctively down-curved, long, slender beak and a beautifully patterned plumage. They sport whites, blacks, and reddish-oranges, with a dark cap on the head (black for males and gray for females), a black face mask, red eyes, and various shades of gray, brown, and white on the back, wings, belly, and chest.

Eastern Spinebills are residents, meaning they don’t migrate, and they dine on a diet of nectar, spiders, and insects.

Final Thought:

In conclusion, the avian world is a testament to nature’s creativity, showcasing a dazzling array of birds with unique adaptations to suit their environments and dietary needs. Among these are the 17 elegant small birds with long beaks we’ve explored in this visual journey.

From the extraordinary Sword-billed Hummingbird to the striking Cerulean Kingfisher and the elusive Kiwi, each bird possesses its own charm and purpose in the intricate web of ecosystems they inhabit.

Their long beaks serve as specialized tools, allowing them to access food sources such as nectar, insects, and even small vertebrates with precision and efficiency. Whether darting through the air, probing the ground, or skimming the water’s surface, these birds are marvels of evolution, perfectly adapted to their respective niches.

As we continue to appreciate and study these fascinating creatures, may we also strive to protect their habitats and preserve the rich biodiversity that makes our planet so extraordinary. Embarking on journeys like this reminds us of the beauty and wonder that surrounds us, urging us to cherish and conserve the natural world for generations to come.