What is the smallest bird in the world? – Top ten tiniest birds ranked

Female Bee hummingbird – compare it’s size to that of the human hand

Have you ever wondered what is the smallest bird in the world? or have you been lucky enough to have ever seen any of the smallest birds in the world? Do not worry if you have not, as I have put together a list of ten of the smallest birds in the world, some of which are quite unbelievably small. We will see information on the sizes, where they are native to, habitat, diet and a few other interesting facts, along with some fantastic images.

A list of 10 of the smallest birds in the world

1. Bee Hummingbird
2. Esmeraldas Woodstar
3. Calliope Hummingbird
4. Costa’s Hummingbird
5. Pale-billed flowerpecker
6. Wee-bill 
7. Cape penduline
8. Goldcrest
9. Common Firecrest
10. Spotted pardalote

1. Bee hummingbird – (Scientific name – Mellisuga helenae)

At number one in the list of the smallest birds in the world is this beautiful bird which is known as the smallest living bird in the world. They named it the bee hummingbird, due to the fact they’re barely bigger than a bumblebee. From their tail to the bill the females are only around 6cms, while the males are slightly smaller at 5.5cms. Their wings are small and narrow and can beat up to 80 times per second, which allows them to reach speeds of up to 30 mph. They also have the ability to fly up, down, backwards and even upside down. Also compared to other hummingbirds their beaks are quite short. 

The males have a stunning red – orange head and gorget which hangs down either side of their breast, as seen in the above image. Their upper parts are a green-blue iridescent, so can change in the light. Like the female they have a grey underbelly. 

As you can see in the image below the female is a blue/green with a grey underbelly. 

Female Bee Hummingbird in flight.

Amazing video on Bee hummingbirds

The image below gives you an idea of the scale of how small these amazing birds are. 

FUN FACTS OF THE BEE HUMMINGBIRD

• It is believed that their heart beat at 1260 beats per minute, is the second fastest in the world, the first being the Etruscan shrew,  (one of the world’s smallest mammals) their heart beat being 1500 beats per minute or 25 beats per second.
• Their nests are cup shaped and are around 2.5 cms in diameter, Lichen, bark and strands of cobweb are used in construction
• One to two eggs are laid and are the size of gardens peas. These weight around 0.8g

You can see from the images below how small the nests and eggs are compare to the human finger.

The image above gives you another scale of the nest compared to a quarter dollar coin.

Measurements	Length – Males 5.5  Length – Females 6.1 cm Wingspan – 3.25 cm Weight – 1.9 – 2.6g
Native to	Endemic to Cuba
Habitat	Rainforest, dry forests, coastal area, gardens
Diet	Nectar, insects

Conservation status

Unfortunately these amazing birds have been listed as “Near Threatened,” on the IUCN red list for birds. This is due to the species declining moderately rapidly, as a result of habitat loss. (Birdlife international, 2023)

Range map of the Bee Hummingbird

2. Esmeraldas Woodstar (Scientific name – Chaetocercus berlepschi)

Number two on the list of the smallest bird in the world, is the rare Esmeraldas Woodstar as shown in the image above of a male. The Woodstar are a Species of hummingbird, they are from the same family of Trochilidae.

There are six varieties of Woodstar, and they do look similar with all of them having a bright purple throat. In this list of smallest birds in the world we are looking at Esmeraldas Woodstar, as this is known to be the smallest of the Woodstar family.

They have a glorious green head and back, with a white underbelly. In addition they have a wonderful forked tail.

Females do not have the purple throat but has a fabulous distinct black stripe through the eyes, and a pinky colouring to the underbelly feathers. They do have some green to their back and head feathers but muted compared to the males. The female also has a shorter tail than the male as you see in the image below, which also shows off the colouring of the female. 

I found that when researching these birds some information such as size and weight were difficult to find, it appears due to their rarity they are just not a well studied species. Although they are recognised as one of the smallest of the Trochilidae family, they are not as small as the previous Bee hummingbird. 

FUN FACT OF THE ESMERALDAS WOODSTAR

• Sweetly known locally as “Estrellita” (little star)
• Endemic to Ecuador and is their Smallest bird

Measurements	Length – 6 – 7cm
Native to	Endemic to Western Ecuador (only on the Pacific coast)
Habitat	Evergreen moist & semi humid forest
Diet	Nectar

Conservation status

Sadly these little birds are on the IUCN Red list category as Vulnerable. Although they have been moved down the list, as they were previously endangered, as the overall population was greater than first thought. However their population is still on a continuing decline, due to habitat degradation and climate change. (Birdlife international, 2023)

Range map of the Esmeraldas Woodstar

3. Calliope hummingbird (Scientific name – Selasphorus calliope)

At number three on our list of the smallest bird in world, we have this sweet little bird that despite its size, has the boldness to chase off other birds much larger than itself, such as hawks, and has a reputation of being very territorial. Meet the male Calliope hummingbird. It has a green head and back and deep red streaks on its throat as seen above. These streaks are said to glow when they are courting a female, they also increase their wing beat by around 42% this increases the sound of humming and thereby helps to attract a female. 

FUN FACTS OF THE CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD

• This bird is North America’s smallest bird
• They are the smallest long distance migrating animal
• Migrates as far as 5,600 miles 
• Females make the nest and rears young on their own

Measurements	Length – 7- 8 cm Wingspan – 10.5 – 11cm Weight – 2 – 3g
Native to	North America, Migrating from Mexico to Canada Sometimes winters in central America
Habitat	Open forest, mountains meadows, areas near water
Diet	Nectar & insects

Conservation status

This bird species has a status of least concern under the range size criterion  (Birdlife international, 2023)

Range map of the Calliope hummingbird

Blue – Non-breeding

Pink – breeding

4. Costa’s hummingbird (Scientific name – Calypte costae)

The fourth smallest bird in the world on our list is the attractive Costa’s hummingbird. The male as seen above has a mainly green head and back and a black tail. The face, throat, cap and gorgets are an iridescent deep purple colour, with white patches of feathers at the side and on the breast.

The female as seen below is a lot less colourful, as with most females in the bird kingdom.

Female Costa’s Hummingbird

FUN FACTS OF THE COSTA’S HUMMINGBIRD

• Breeds in the deserts of Arizona and California, but breeds in the Winter & spring to avoid the summer heat
• Migrates to the coast for summer
• Males can fly high and then dive in wonderful courtship displays
• Only the female incubate & feed the young

Measurements	Length – 7.6 – 8 cms Wingspan – 11cms Weight – 2-3g
Native to	South West US, Mexico, Southern California
Habitat	Scrub area of warm desert
Diet	Omnivore (nectar & small insects)

Conservation status

This bird species has a status of least concern under the range size criterion  (Birdlife international, 2023)

Range map of Costa’s Hummingbird

5. Pale-Billed Flowerpecker (Scientific name – Dicaeum Erythrorhychos)

At number five on the list of smallest bird in the world is the smallest bird of India, the Pale-billed flowerpecker, which is quite a mouthful to say. This little bird has as described in its name a pale bill, as seen in the above image. It doesn’t have the brightness of other birds, it is more of an olive brown in colour and is quite short and stout. But still a cute little bird.

Measurements	Length – 7 – 8 cm Weight – 4 – 8g
Native to	Indian subcontinent
Habitat	Forests, mangroves, orchard, urban gardens
Diet	Berries, nectar, insects, spiders

Conservation status

This bird species has a status of least concern under the range size criterion  (Birdlife international, 2023)

Range map of Pale-billed flowerpecker

6. Weebill (Scientific name – Smicrornis brevirstris)

We have the Weebill at number six on the smallest bird in the world list, as shown in the image above. They are Australia’s smallest birds, and as its name suggests it has a small bill. They are an olive brown with darker brown at the tips of the wings, and a creamy yellow colouring to the underbelly and eye ring. If you look closely you can also see they have a pale eyebrow stripe. 

FUN FACTS OF THE WEEBILL

• Prefer to move around in flocks
• Has a loud call which weirdly sounds like it’s saying’  “I’m a Weebill,”
• Only the female will incubate the eggs
• Both parents will raise the young

Measurements	Length – 8 – 9cm Weight – 6g
Native to	Australia
Habitat	Woodlands, but prefer open eucalyptus forests
Diet	Insects

Conservation status

This bird species has a status of least concern under the range size criterion  (Birdlife international, 2023)

Range map of the Weebill

7. Cape Penduline Tit – (Scientific name – Anthoscopus minutus)

Number seven on the smallest bird in the world list is the Cape penduline tit is one of the smallest birds in Africa, and is number seven on our list. This little bird as you can see above is a little dull in colour, quite grey on the top with a cream – yellow breast and underbelly. But ‘looks can be deceiving’, as the saying goes, this is a very clever little bird and protects its clutch of eggs and young by making a wonderfully clever nest to stop predators getting to the precious load as you can see in the image below. 

FUN FACTS OF THE CAPE PENDULUM TIT

• They build big nests from around 15 cm by 9cm & use wool from sheep farming areas and spider silk to attach to the tree 
• The nest is so big as the cleverly have put in a false door, this goes into an empty chamber and not where the young are, thereby protecting them from being predated. The proper door is on the top of the false one which closes behind the parents as the enter and exit as shown in the image above

Measurements	Length – 8  – 10 cm Weight – 7 – 8g
Native to	Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Habitat	Tropical & subtropical  dry shrubland, dry savannahs
Diet	Invertebrates, spiders, insects

Conservation status

This bird species has a status of least concern under the range size criterion  (Birdlife international, 2023)

Range map of the Cape pendulum tit

8. Goldcrest – (Scientific name Regulus regulus) Female

At number eight on our list of the smallest bird in the world is a bird that is the UK’s smallest bird, the Goldcrest, as seen above. I have had the great pleasure to see this fantastic little bird. I saw it in a  garden, just briefly, flitting over to a bush for a few seconds and then gone. It was a lovely thing to see and one to tick off my list of birds. 

This tiny bird is an olive green in colour with some light brown and a buff white underbelly, but as with its cousin the Firecrest the “pièce de résistance” is their black and yellow punk rock stripe on their heads, although in males they can have orange feathers in the centre as seen in the image below. 

Male Goldcrest with crest raised

FUN FACTS OF THE GOLDCREST

• On a cold night they can use almost 20% of their body weight to keep warm
• Female can lay up to 12 eggs in one clutch
• The male can raise the central feathers in displays if threatened or for attracting a female.
• Was known as the golden crested wren

Measurements	Length – 8 – 9cm Wingspan – 14cm Weight – 5 – 6g
Native to	Afghanistan; Albania; Algeria; Andorra; Armenia; Azerbaijan; Bhutan; Bosnia and Herzegovina; China; Croatia;Czechia; Europe; Faroe Islands; Japan; Kazakhstan; Korea, Democratic People’s Republic of; Kyrgyzstan; Mongolia; Montenegro; Myanmar; Nepal; North Macedonia; Russian Federation (Central Asian Russia, European Russia, Eastern Asian Russia); Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Tajikistan; Tunisia; Turkey;
Habitat	Woodlands, parks, gardens
Diet	Insects & seed

Conservation status

This bird species has a status of least concern under the range size criterion  (Birdlife international, 2023)

Range map of the Goldcrest

  

9. The Common Firecrest – (Scientific name – Regulus ignicpilla) Male

The wonderful Firecrest is number nine on our list of smallest birds in the world and is the UK’s second smallest bird. This is another bird I have been lucky enough to see. While visiting someone’s house, I saw a flash of colour right on the outside of the window frame, it took me a second or two to realise what it was, then WOW how fantastic to see it. I assumed it was looking for either spiders or insects caught in a spider web. I do remember the occupant of the house not quite understanding my complete excitement at seeing it. 

As discussed in the detail of the Goldcrest the Firecrest are similar. However, the Firecrest is slightly bigger and heavier. Also there are differences with the colouring, these are a little more colourful. The male has a bright orange crown edged with black, an orange forehead, and a bronze – golden colouring to the sides and neck. They also have a pale eyebrow stripe and a pale crescent marking under the eye, some say these markings around the eyes make them look like a little angry bird. When you look at the image above I suppose it could look that way. Females are similar looking to the males. However they do not have the same colouring on the crown as you can see in the image below. 

Female Common Firecrest

FUN FACTS OF THE COMMON FIRECREST

• Closely related to the Goldcrest
• Joins flocks of other birds in Autumn & Winter 
• Is high on birders want to see lists

Measurements	Length – 9 – 10cm Wingspan – 14cm Weight – 5 -7g
Native to	Europe & Northwest Africa
Habitat	Coniferous woods
Diet	Insects & spiders

Conservation status

This bird species has a status of least concern under the range size criterion  (Birdlife international, 2023)

Range map of the Firecrest

 

10. Spotted Pardalote – (Scientific name – Pardalotus punctatus)

This attractive little bird is number ten on our list of smallest bird in the world, and again it is native to Australia. As you can see from the image above it is an unusual coloured bird, with black head, back and wings with a scattering of white spots. A prominent pale eyebrow stripe, and a yellow bib and rump, although the rump can also be red, and a creamy yellow underparts. A lovely looking little bird. 

The image below is of a female whose colouring is more muted. 

FUN FACTS OF THE SPOTTED PARDALOTE

• Known as the “headache bird” due to its incessant call during breeding season
• Found mainly high up in the canopy
• Nest in large cavities excavated in banks of earth, although sometimes in tree hollows
• Both male and female build nests, incubate the eggs and feed the young

Measurements	Length – 8 – 10cm Weight – 6 – 8g
Native to	Australia
Habitat	Eucalypt forest, woodlands, gardens & parks
Diet	Insects

Conservation status

This bird species has a status of least concern under the range size criterion  (Birdlife international, 2023)

Range map of the Spotted Pardalote

In summary

I hope you have enjoyed reading this article of the ‘smallest bird in the world’ as much as I have enjoyed writing it. I have actually learned so much from researching these marvellous birds, such as out of the ten birds in the article the top four are actually hummingbirds, who knew?

if you are interested in seeing more about hummingbirds there are two further articles I have written, one on how do hummingbirds sleep and where? and the other is the flowers that draw hummingbirds, you can find them of the following links: https://www.birdfinder.co/where-do-hummingbirds-sleep/ https://www.birdfinder.co/flowers-that-draw-hummingbirds/

If you have any feedback, questions or comments please do not hesitate to get in touch, we would love to hear from you. 

References;

http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/bee-hummingbird-mellisuga-helenae accessed 02/09/2023

http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/esmeraldas-woodstar-chaetocercus-berlepschi accessed on 03/09/2023

http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/calliope-hummingbird-selasphorus-calliope accessed on 03/09/23

http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/costas-hummingbird-calypte-costae accessed on 04/09/2023

http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/pale-billed-flowerpecker-dicaeum-erythrorhynchos accessed 04/09/2023

http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/weebill-smicrornis-brevirostris accessed 06/09/2023

http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/cape-penduline-tit-anthoscopus-minutus accessed 06/09/2023

http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/goldcrest-regulus-regulus accessed 06/09/2023

http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/common-firecrest-regulus-ignicapilla

Accessed 06/09/2023

http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/spotted-pardalote-pardalotus-punctatus accessed 04/092023