Sharpbill: Oxyruncidae

The range of the sharpbill is unusual, because it is discontinuous, or broken. Sharpbills are found in isolated patches throughout Central and South America. They live year round in parts of Costa Rica and Panama, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. The broken up nature of their range suggests that at one time they may have been found over a much greater, continuous area.

Sharpbills are of interest mainly to ornithologists and birdwatchers.

To feed, the sharpbill forces its pointed bill into fruit, tightly rolled leaves, or moss growing on a tree. It then forces its bill apart and collects seeds or insects from inside the fruit, leaves, or moss. (Illustration by Bruce Worden. Reproduced by permission.)

Not enough is known about these birds to determine their conservation status. However, the broken up nature of their range suggests that they once were found in a wider area than they are today.