>> These birds are the smallest in the world/Collage by Radio MAXIMUM
International Bird Day is celebrated on April 1. On this occasion, we decided to tell you about the smallest birds. These little birds are impressive with their size and appearance. And they are definitely worth your attention.
Imagine, the largest bird can weigh 155 kilograms. But the smallest is only a few grams. Moreover, these babies are so small that they can often be confused with ordinary bees. True, this is more about hummingbirds, and we on Radio MAXIMUM on International Bird Day will talk about more than just them.
Hummingbird-bee
Mellisuga helenae
Dimensions and weight: 5.5 centimeters/1.95 grams
You might be surprised to learn how tiny a bird can be. The smallest bird in the world, the bee hummingbird, is only 5.5 centimeters long (females are slightly larger – about 6.1 centimeters). This also makes them the smallest warm-blooded vertebrate.
They weigh only 1.95 grams, about the same as a cashew nut. These perfectly miniature birds can be found only in Cuba, they feed on flower nectar. They can be mistaken for bees buzzing around their favorite flowers, hence the name.
Olive hummingbird
Chaetocercus berlepschi
Weight: 6.4 grams
Only slightly larger Esmeraldas woodstar, also a species of hummingbird. This whimsically named bird can only be found off the coast of western Ecuador and is extremely rare, with a population of between 1,000 and 2,700 adults. This number is now declining due to habitat loss.
Calliope
Selasphorus calliope
Size and weight: 7 centimeters/2 grams
The calliope hummingbird (starting to see a theme here?) is the smallest native bird of the United States and Canada. 7 centimeters from beak to tip of tail – about the length of a Bic lighter. Like most hummingbirds, its diet consists of a mixture of nectar and small insects.
They are named after the Greek muse Calliope, known for her ecstatically beautiful voice. Perhaps the hummingbird's call doesn't quite match this, as it's more like a high-pitched buzzing sound.
Calypte costae
Calypte costae
Size and weight: 7.6 centimeters/3.05 grams
The last hummingbird on our list is perhaps the most striking: the males of this species have a bright purple cap and throat that make them look like a particularly angry plum.
This vibrant plumage is used to spectacular effect during courtship, when they carefully lean so that the sun catches it, blinding nearby females. They can be found in the southwestern United States and in Mexico.
Dicaeum erythrorhynchos
Dicaeum erythrorhynchos
Size and weight : 8 centimeters/4 grams
Less bright, but almost as tiny, the Indian flower-eater is an olive-green bird native to the Indian subcontinent. It has a mutually beneficial relationship with the mistletoe Dendrophthoe falcata. In exchange for food – mistletoe berries – this bird both pollinates the plant, transferring pollen from flower to flower, and promotes seed dispersal by removing intact seeds after digestion.
Riroriro Short-billed
Smicrornis brevirostris
Dimensions and weight: 8 centimeters/6 grams
The aptly named Little Beak is a nondescript grey-yellow bird with an especially short bill. This is Australia's smallest bird.
The Short-billed Riroriro is mainly insectivorous, feeding on beetles and flies, but sometimes also on seeds. Weighing just 6 grams, it's about the size of a pencil.
Southern Remez
Anthoscopus minutus
Dimensions and weight : 8 centimeters/8 grams
This small sparrow-like bird native to southern Africa is known for its nests, which it builds from soft materials such as webs, sheep's wool, and plant fibers.
These nests are made in the form of spherical bags that hang and sway on the branches of trees. They also have more than one entrance, an open “false entrance” that leads to an empty chamber, cleverly designed to confuse would-be egg thieves, and a smaller true entrance that closes as soon as the bird enters or exits.
Yellow-crested Goldfinch
Regulus regulus
Dimensions and weight: 9 centimeters/5.7 grams
Next comes the smallest bird in Great Britain, known as the “king of birds” in European folklore (hence the scientific name regulus , meaning king). This is probably due to the bright orange/yellow plumage on the crown.
Although it weighs less than a postcard, females of this species can lay up to 12 eggs in a clutch, which is about one and a half times their body weight.
Red-crested Goldfinch
Regulus ignicapilla
Dimensions and weight: 9.3 centimeters/5.5 grams
Similar in appearance, but much rarer than the yellow-chinned. In addition to the yellow crown, they also have a black eye stripe and a white brow stripe.
In addition, they have a brighter color overall than the golden-crested. They share the same regal name, Regulus ignicapilla, which means (roughly) little king in a fire cap. They can be seen in the UK, but are also found in much of Europe and parts of north-west Africa.
Leopard Diamondback
Pardalotus punctatus
Dimensions and weight: 9.5 centimeters/6 grams
This colorful little bird, the smallest in Australia after the Wibill, is also called a bird , suffering from a headache. This is due to its characteristic repetitive cry, which can annoy listeners with its relentlessness during the breeding season.
It can be found high in the crowns of eucalyptus trees, searching among the leaves for small insects, favored by insects of the family of jumping plant lice (psyllids ).