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Humans are one of the giants of the natural world. And yet, we seem to adore those much smaller than us. In fact, the tinier, the better. Birds are a great example of this – who can’t help but admire a tiny bird. Believe it or not, the world’s smallest bird is only two inches long!

Some are so tiny they could fit in the palm of our hand, and some are even smaller. Want to learn more about the small birds of the world? Keep reading, and we’ll share the top fifteen smallest birds in order. 

Here are the Top Fifteen Smallest Birds in the World

Let’s meet the world’s top fifteen smallest birds. We’ll start from the the fifteenth smallest all the way up to the smallest bird in the world.

Its difficult to judge size from a photo, but most of us know how big a quarter coin is (about an inch). That’s why we’ve used one to help us see the scale of the photo and how small the bird really is.

15. Red-Cheeked Cordon-Bleu: Colourful Small Bird

Two Red-Cheeked Cordon-Bleus, a very colorful small bird. A quarter is shown for scale.
Image by Rachel Kramer via Flickr.

Starting off at the fifteenth smallest, we have the Red-Cheeked Cordon-Bleu, a finch measuring five inches in length. It weighs just under ten grams. Males are bright blue, brown, and yellow. Females are of a paler complexion. Find this bird in central and eastern Africa. 

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Fun Fact: This bird builds a unique nest: a dome-shaped grass structure with a side entrance!

14. Lesser Goldfinch

A Lesser Goldfinch. A quarter is shown for scale.
Image by Mick Thompson via Flickr and Instagram.

The Lesser Goldfinch weighs eight and a half to eleven grams and is three and a half to four and a half inches in length. It is a golden bird found widely between southern North America and northern South America. Unlike other members of their species, they tend to flock near water.

Fun Fact: The Lesser Goldfinch is monogamous and pairs breed year round.

13. Verdin: Small Bird of Southwest US

A Verdin, a small bird of the Southwest US. A quarter is shown for scale.
Image by Anthony Louviere via Flickr.

The Verdin is four and a half inches in length and weighs six to eight grams. It resides in the southwestern United States and the northern region of Mexico. This bird is small and pale with a yellow head. It is known for its rapid flight and monogamous behavior.

Fun Fact: Verdins share nest building responsibilities- rare in the bird world!

12. Brown Gerygone: Australia’s Third Smallest Bird

A Brown Gerygone, Australia's third smallest bird. A quarter is shown for scale.
Image by Mark Sanders via Flickr.

The Brown Gerygone bird is four inches in length and weighs five and a half grams. True to its name, this is an all-over brown bird with darker coloration on its back. Its name means ‘born of song’ referring to its sweet, melodic voice.

Fun Fact: This bird is newly named! The Brown Gerygone used to be the Brown Warbler.

11. Spotted Pardalote

A Spotted Pardalote. A quarter is shown for scale.
Image by Patrick Kavanagh via Flickr.

The Spotted Pardalote is a small songbird of the Australian forests who, like the Weebill, prefers areas with lots of eucalyptus trees. This bird is three to four inches in length and weighs six grams. The spotted plumage on its back, head, and wings makes this bird easily distinguishable. They are excitable when feeding and even flip upside down to reach into nooks and crannies in the bark. 

Fun Fact: This bird makes its nest by digging- sometimes directly into tree trunks to make a nest big enough for multiple pairs to share!

10. Common Firecrest: Smallest Insectivorous Bird

A Common Firecrest, the smallest insectivorous bird. A quarter is shown for scale.
Image by Frans Pelsmaekers via Flickr.

In ninth place, the Common Firecrest from Northwestern Africa and temperate Europe is three and a half inches long and weighs five to seven grams. It has a round body and vibrant-colored feathers. The Firecrest is unique in that it is exclusively insectivorous and will even hover to catch flying insects. 

Fun Fact: The Common Firecrest is culturally significant in ancient Greek history and is the main character of a popular legend.

9. Goldcrest: Smallest Migratory Bird

A Goldcrest, the smallest migratory bird. A quarter is shown for scale.
Image by Maggie Henfield via Flickr.

The Goldcrest is a small plump bird roughly three and a half inches long and weighing four and a half to seven grams. It has grayish-green plumage and a white belly. Males have a black and yellow striped head. This bird is highly migratory and found widely across Europe and Asia. It begins its journey in late August and continues until early November.

Fun Fact: During migration, the Goldcrest joins sedentary groups of birds of its own species and flies long distances with the mismatched groups. 

8. Weebill: Australia’s Smallest Bird

A Weebill, Australia's smallest bird. A quarter is shown for scale.
Image by Patrick Kavanagh via Flickr.

The Weebill, Australia’s smallest bird, is three to three and a half inches long and weighs six grams. It has a light yellow and olive coloration with brown wings. This bird loves eucalyptus trees and the insects that reside within their leaves. 

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Fun Fact: The Weebill has a unique nest, a dome-shaped pendant made from fine, pliable materials. The nest is suspended from a branch deep in the tree canopy. This bird is resourceful and uses anything from insect cocoons to plant fibers to bind and conceal its nest. 

7. Cape Penduline Tit

Two Cape Penduline Tits. A quarter is shown for scale.
Image by Wilferd Duckitt via Flickr.

The Cape Penduline Tit is rather scruffy-looking. Similar to the Weebill, it has an olive coloration with brown wings. In comparison, it has a darker head and beak. It is three inches in length and weighs eight grams. This bird prefers dry savannahs and shrublands across southern Africa. 

Fun Fact: Also similar to the Weebill, the Cape Penduline Tit has an interesting nesting tactic. They build two entrances. One is the actual entrance, while the other is a fake leading to an empty space. This tricks predators and keeps the eggs and chicks safe. 

6. Pale-Billed Flowerpecker

A Pale-billed Flowerpecker. A quarter is shown for scale.
Image by Pradeepkumar Devadoss via Flickr.

The Pale-Billed Flowerpecker is the first on our list without striking coloration. This bird is pale brown with slightly darker wings and uppers. Its bill is pale and curved – hence the name. At three inches long and weighing between four to eight grams, this bird is certainly small. It resides in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and western Myanmar.

Fun Facts: The Pale-Billed Flowerpecker is the master of adaptation. It lives in a variety of habitats ranging from deep forests to cityscapes. It also has a diverse diet consisting of both berries and nectar. 

5. Costa’s Hummingbird

A Costa's Hummingbird. A quarter is shown for scale.
Image by Mick Thompson via Flickr and Instagram.

The Costa’s Hummingbird has a purple neck and throat with a soft, white underbelly. The plumage on its throat flumes out, making it look like a mustache. It is three to three and a half inches long and weighs two and a half to three and a half grams. The Costa’s Hummingbird is native to the Southwestern United States and Northwestern Mexico.

Fun Fact: This small bird slows its heartbeat and reduces its body temperature to adapt to low nighttime temperatures. Its heartbeat reduces to about fifty beats per minute compared to its usual five-hundred to nine-hundred beats per minute resting rate.

4. Calliope Hummingbird: Smallest Bird in North America

A Calliope Hummingbird, the smallest bird in North America. A quarter is shown for scale.
Image by Jerry Ting via Flickr.

The Calliope Hummingbird is the smallest bird in North America at just three to three and a half inches long and weighing two and a half to three and a half grams. It has a short tail and beak (for a hummingbird) with short wings that extend past its tail. The Calliope Hummingbird resides in the United States and Canada.

Fun Fact: The Calliope Hummingbird feeds low to the ground and is defensive during breeding season. 

3. Bumblebee Hummingbird

A Bumblebee Hummingbird, the second smallest hummingbird in the world. A quarter is shown for scale.
Image by Nick Athanas via Flickr and Website.

The Bumblebee Hummingbird, found in the mountainous regions of Mexico, is the second smallest hummingbird. It weighs two and a half grams and is three inches in length. It sports iridescent green, blue, and especially purple plumage. 

Fun Fact: The female Bumblebee Hummingbird can catch up to two thousand insects a day when nesting!

2. Esmeralda’s Woodstar: Rare Small Bird

An Esmeraldas Woodstar, a rare small bird. A quarter is shown for scale.
Image by Nick Athanas via Flickr.

The second smallest bird in the world is the Esmeralda’s Woodstar at barely two and half inches in length. It is also one of the rarest birds in the world with only about 1,000 individuals left. The Esmeralda’s Woodstar has a dazzling green back and crest with a white belly. It adorns a shining purple mark on its neck and a bright yellow patch above its wing. 

Fun Fact: Esmeralda’s Woodstar is nicknamed Estrelitta, or little star. And while it resides mainly in South America, its conservation efforts span worldwide.

1. Bee Hummingbird: Smallest Bird in the World

A Bee Hummingbird, the smallest bird in the world. A quarter is shown for scale.
Image by Ken Pinnow via Flickr.

The Bee Hummingbird of the Cuban archipelago wins the title of the world’s smallest bird. It weighs two grams and is only two to two and a half inches in length. This species is an iridescent blue, sporting a black head with peculiar bright pink and orange spots. 

Fun Facts: The Bee Hummingbird is even smaller than many insects! And it holds two world records. Beyond being the smallest bird in the world, it also has the second fastest heartbeat of 1,260 beats per minute.

Who Knew Birds Could Be So Small?

There you have it – the top fifteen smallest birds in the world! Ranging from a mere two to eight grams, you’ll need a good pair of binoculars to catch a glimpse of these tiny creatures. 

Want to know which birds are the rarest? Check out our guide to the Top 15 Rarest Birds in the World here.

Happy birding!

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