The class Aves is a taxonomic group encompassing all birds, boasting astonishing diversity. From the snow petrel of Antarctica to the roadrunner of the Mojave Desert, birds can be found on all seven continents. Their sizes also vary greatly. The smallest and largest birds differ in weight by 155 kilograms, and in wingspan by 3.7 meters. This article introduces you to 10 of the smallest members of the bird family, their distribution, diet, and fascinating lifestyles.
1. Hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae) – 5.5 cm / 1.95 g
A small male hummingbird perched on a branch.
The male hummingbird is the world's smallest bird. You might be surprised to learn that birds are incredibly tiny. The hummingbird is the smallest bird in the world, measuring only 5.5 centimeters in length (the male is slightly larger, at about 6.1 centimeters). This also makes them the smallest warm-blooded vertebrates. They weigh only 1.95 grams, about the same as a cashew nut. These perfectly tiny birds can only be found in Cuba and feed on nectar. They might be mistaken for bees buzzing around their favorite flowers, hence their name.
2. Eeslin Hummingbird (Chaetocercus berlepschi) – 6.4 cm
The slightly larger one is the Eslin hummingbird, also a type of hummingbird. This oddly named bird can only be found on the western coast of Ecuador and is very rare, with an estimated population of between 1,000 and 2,700 mature individuals. This number is currently declining due to habitat loss.
3. Star Hummingbird (Selasphorus calliope) – 7 cm / 2 g
Star hummingbird in the flower bushes
The Star Hummingbird is the smallest native bird in the United States and Canada. It measures 7 centimeters from beak to tail tip, about the length of a Bic lighter. Like most hummingbirds, its diet consists of nectar and small insects. It is named after the Greek muse Calliope, whose former genus name means "little star." She is known for her mesmerizingly beautiful voice. The hummingbird's call, however, is perhaps less accurate and more like a high-pitched buzzing sound.
4. Calypte costae – 7.6 cm / 3.05 g
A beautiful male Cormorant hummingbird on a branch
The last hummingbird on our list is perhaps the most striking. The males of this species have bright purple caps and throats, making them resemble particularly angry plums. This vibrant plumage plays a captivating role in their courtship displays, dazzling nearby females as they carefully adjust their angles to receive sunlight. They can be found in the southwestern United States and Mexico.
5. Pale-billed Flowerpecker (Dicaeum erythrorhynchos) – 8 cm / 4 g
A pale-billed flowerpecker with fruit in its beak
The less vigorous but almost equally small, pale-billed flowerpecker is an olive-green bird that inhabits the Indian subcontinent. It has a mutually beneficial relationship with the mistletoe species *Dendrophthoe falcata*. In return for food (mistletoe berries), this bird both pollinates the plants, carrying pollen from one flower to another, and helps disperse seeds by excreting them intact after digestion.
6. Brown Broadbill Warbler (Smicrornis brevirostris) – 8 cm / 6 g
The smallest bird in Australia, the Little Brown Broadbill Warbler, perches on a branch.
The little toucan's name is quite fitting; it's an unassuming greyish-yellow bird with a particularly short, stout beak. It's the smallest bird in Australia. The brown broadbill warbler primarily feeds on insects, beetles, and flies, but sometimes also eats seeds. It weighs only 6 grams, about the weight of a pencil.
7. Anthoscopus minutus – 8cm/8g
Southern penduline tits perch on tree branches
This tiny passerine is found in southern Africa and is known for its nests made of soft materials such as spider webs, wool, and plant fibers.
These nests are designed as hanging ball bags, swaying back and forth on the branches. They also have multiple entrances, one of which is an open "false entrance" leading to an empty room, cleverly constructed to deter potential egg thieves, and a smaller, real entrance that closes once the Southern Penduline Tit enters or leaves.
8. Goldcrest (Regulus regulus) – 9cm/5.7g
Goldcrests on a pine tree in the Scottish Highlands
Next up is Britain's smallest bird, hailed as the "King of Birds" in European folklore (hence its scientific name, *regulus*, meaning "King"). This is likely due to its bright orange/yellow plumage on its head. Although it weighs less than a postcard, females of this species can lay up to 12 eggs per clutch, roughly one and a half times their body weight.
9. Fire Crown Chrysanthemum (Regulus ignicapilla) – 9.3 cm / 5.5 g
Fire Crown Chrysanthemum
Similar in appearance to the goldcrest, but even rarer, is the fire-crowned goldcrest. Besides its yellow crown, it has black eye stripes and white eyebrows or eyebrow stripes. Its overall color is also more vibrant than that of the golden crown. It has a similar imperial name, *Regulus ignicapilla*, meaning (roughly) the little king with the fire crown. They can be seen in Britain, but also in much of Europe and parts of northwest Africa.
10. Spotted Honeyeater (Pardalotus punctatus) – 9.5 cm / 6 g
Male spotted honeyeater spreads its wings
This brightly colored little bird is the second smallest bird in Australia after the Brown Broadbill, and is also known as the Headache Bird. This is because its distinctive, repetitive call can be quite irritating to listeners, especially during the breeding season. It can be found high in the canopy of eucalyptus trees, searching for small insects among the leaves, with a particular fondness for fleas (psyllids).
Spotted-winged Honeyeater
