What is the smallest species of bird?
Smallest organisms
With a mass of approximately and a length of 5 centimetres (2.0 in), the bee hummingbird ("Mellisuga helenae") is the world's smallest bird species and the smallest warm-blooded vertebrate. Called the "zunzún" in its native habitat on Cuba, it is lighter than a Canadian or U.S. penny. It is said that it is "more apt to be mistaken for a bee than a bird". The bee hummingbird eats half its total body mass and drinks eight times its total body mass each day. Its nest is 3 cm across.
Melanocharitidae
The berrypeckers and longbills are small to very small songbirds. They range in length from in the case of the fan-tailed berrypecker to in the case of the pygmy longbill, which is the smallest bird in New Guinea. The berrypeckers ("Melanocharis") are usually bigger than the "Toxorhamphus" and "Oedistoma" longbills. The females of two species, the fan-tailed and streaked berrypecker, are unique amongst songbirds in that they exhibit a reversal in the usual pattern of sexual dimorphism, with the females being both longer and heavier. For example in the fan-tailed berrypecker the male weighs , whereas the female weighs .
Spotted pardalote
The spotted pardalote ("Pardalotus punctatus") is one of the smallest of all Australian birds at in length, and one of the most colourful; it is sometimes known as the diamondbird. Although moderately common in all of the reasonably fertile parts of Australia (the east coast, the south-east, and the south-west corner) it is seldom seen closely enough to enable identification.
Pied falconet
The Pied falconet belongs to the family Falconidae of the order Falconiformes. The family Falconidae is split into two sub-families, the Herpetotherinae and the Falconinae. The Falconinae family is then also split into two tribes, the first tribe is the Caracini, which includes five Neoptropical genera: "Daptrius, Ibycter, Milvago, Caracara" and "Phalcoboenus". The second tribe is the Falconini which includes the genera "Polihierax, Falco, Spiziaptteryx" and "Microhierax."   The species belonging to the genera "Polihierax" and "Microhierax" are the smallest diurnal raptors in the world. The Pied falconet is one of the five species in the "Microhierax" genus. The four other species of this genus include:The Pied falconet ranges from north-eastern India to east China and south-east Asia. They are found in deciduous forest edges and clearings in wooded foothills. This species likes clearing such as old cultivation lands with banks and stream. They are usually perched on tree tops while occasionally flying off to catch prey. These are not migratory birds, they are a resident species, staying in the same area for most of the year.
List of birds of Acadia National Park
The storm-petrels are the smallest seabirds, relatives of the petrels, feeding on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like. Until 2018, this family's three species were included with the other storm-petrels in family Hydrobatidae.Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Hydrobatidae
Little brown bustard
The smallest species in its genus, the little brown bustard reaches a maximum length of about . They are light brown birds with whitish underparts. The male has a black tuft on the nape, and a black throat speckled with white. The female lacks these black areas, instead having heavy buff spotting on the back, wings and breast. Both male and female have dark flight feathers on the wings, and when flying show a slender white wing-bar, which divides the black feathers from the sandy-brown wing coverts. The female white-bellied bustard ("Eupodotis senegalensis"), which has a wider range, is larger and darker and has bluish-grey colouring on the back of the neck. The call of the little brown bustard is uttered with the neck outstretched and the head thrown back and is a high-pitched, rattling sound.
Ornithoptera richmondia
Ornithoptera richmondia, the Richmond birdwing, is a species of birdwing butterfly that is endemic to Australia. It is the second smallest of the birdwing species, the smallest being "Ornithoptera meridionalis".
List of birds of Massachusetts
The storm-petrels are the smallest seabirds, relatives of the petrels, feeding on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like. Until 2018, this family's three species were included with the other storm-petrels in family Hydrobatidae. Two species have been recorded in Massachusetts.Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Hydrobatidae
Vervain hummingbird
It is considered the second-smallest bird in the world after the bee hummingbird. Typical length is 6 cm (2.4 in), including the bill, and weight is . It also has among the smallest eggs in the bird world, with an average length of 1 cm (0.39 in) and weight of 0.375 g.
Bird
Birds, also known as Aves, are a group of endothermic vertebrates, characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweight skeleton. Birds live worldwide and range in size from the bee hummingbird to the ostrich. They rank as the world's most numerically-successful class of tetrapods, with approximately ten thousand living species, more than half of these being passerines, sometimes known as perching birds. Birds have which are more or less developed depending on the species; the only known groups without wings are the extinct moa and elephant birds. Wings, which evolved from forelimbs, gave birds the ability to fly, although further evolution has led to the loss of flight in flightless birds, including ratites, penguins, and diverse endemic island species of birds. The digestive and respiratory systems of birds are also uniquely adapted for flight. Some bird species of aquatic environments, particularly seabirds and some waterbirds, have further evolved for swimming.
Least flycatcher
The least flycatcher ("Empidonax minimus"), (also called chebec, or chebecker, after the sound it makes), is a small insect-eating bird. It is the smallest "Empidonax" flycatcher in eastern North America.
Ratite
The smallest ratites are the five species of kiwi from New Zealand. Kiwi are chicken-sized, shy, and nocturnal. They nest in deep burrows and use a highly developed sense of smell to find small insects and grubs in the soil. Kiwi are notable for laying eggs that are very large in relation to their body size. A kiwi egg may equal 15 to 20 percent of the body mass of a female kiwi. The smallest species of kiwi is the little spotted kiwi, at and .
Feathertail glider
The feathertail glider ("Acrobates pygmaeus"), also known as the pygmy gliding possum, pygmy glider, pygmy phalanger, flying phalanger and flying mouse, is a species of marsupial native to eastern Australia. It is the world's smallest gliding mammal and is named for its long feather-shaped tail.
Discheramocephalus elisabethae
Discheramocephalus elisabethae is a species of feather-winged beetle, the smallest beetles on earth, first found in Cameroon.
Wren
Wrens are medium-small to very small birds. The Eurasian wren is among the smallest birds in its range, while the smaller species from the Americas are among the smallest passerines in that part of the world. They range in size from the white-bellied wren, which averages under and , to the giant wren, which averages about and weighs almost . The dominating colors of their plumage are generally drab, composed of gray, brown, black, and white, and most species show some barring, especially to tail and/or wings. No sexual dimorphism is seen in the plumage of wrens, and little difference exists between young birds and adults. All have fairly long, straight to marginally decurved bills.
Little friarbird
The little friarbird ("Philemon citreogularis"), also known as the little leatherhead or yellow throated friarbird, is the smallest of the friarbirds within the Philemon genus. It is found Throughout northern and eastern Australia as well as southern Papua New Guinea. It lives a very prominent life whereby it can easily be seen chasing other honeyeaters and is very vocal. However, the little friarbird is usually spotted high up in trees as it rarely is seen on the ground.
Euryplatea nanaknihali
Euryplatea nanaknihali is the world's smallest fly, measuring in size.
Little bronze cuckoo
The little bronze cuckoo ("Chrysococcyx minutillus") is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is found in Southeast Asia, New Guinea and northern and eastern Australia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. This is the world's smallest cuckoo, at 17 grams and . The subspecies "rufomerus" and "crassirostris" are sometimes given specific status.
Tit hylia
The tit hylia ("Pholidornis rushiae") is a species of bird in the Cettiidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Pholidornis.
It is found in Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Togo, and Uganda. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. At long, it is perhaps the smallest bird native to Africa. This species has a pale buff chest and head overlaid with heavy brown streaking. From the lower breast down to the rump, this bird is bright yellow. The legs are a bright orange color. Juveniles are less colorful and less heavily streaked.
Stits DS-1
The Stits DS-1 Baby Bird is a homebuilt aircraft built to achieve a "world's smallest" status. The Baby Bird is in the Guinness Book of World Records as the “Smallest Airplane in the World.” as of 1984. The title was later defined as "world's smallest monoplane" to acknowledge The Robert Star Bumble Bee as the world's smallest biplane.
Discheramocephalus stewarti
Discheramocephalus stewarti is a species of feather-winged beetle, the smallest beetles on earth, first found in Bolivia.
Least sandpiper
The least sandpiper ("Calidris minutilla") is the smallest shorebird. The genus name is from Ancient Greek "kalidris" or "skalidris", a term used by Aristotle for some grey-coloured waterside birds. The specific "minutilla" is Medieval Latin for "very small".
Little brown bustard
The little brown bustard ("Eupodotis humilis") is a species of bird in the family Otididae. Found in Ethiopia and Somalia, its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland and subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland. As indicated by its name, this bustard is the world's smallest at 45 cm (18 in) and 600 grams (1.3 lb). It is threatened by habitat destruction.
Least seedsnipe
There are three subspecies of the least seedsnipe:The least seedsnipe is the smallest member of the Thinocoridae family. They have short tails and long pointed wings. Their legs and toes are a dull greenish yellow. The beak of the least seedsnipe is an ashy color and is conical like that of a finch or a sand grouse. Adult males have a gray face, neck, and breast, and have black lines at the center of the throat that form an inverted “T” shape. The eyes are a dark gray color.
Odonata
The smallest living dragonfly is "Nannophya pygmaea" (Anisoptera: Libellulidae) from east Asia, which a body length of 15 mm and a wing span of 20 mm, and the smallest damselflies (and smallest odonates of all times) are species of the genus "Agriocnemis" (Zygoptera: Coenagrionidae) with a wing span of only 17–18 mm.
Inaccessible Island rail
The Inaccessible Island rail ("Atlantisia rogersi") is a small bird of the rail family, Rallidae. It is the only species in the genus Atlantisia. Endemic to Inaccessible Island in the Tristan Archipelago in the isolated south Atlantic, it is notable for being the smallest extant flightless bird in the world. The species was described by physician Percy Lowe in 1923 but had first come to the attention of scientists 50 years earlier. The Inaccessible Island rail's affinities were a long-standing mystery; in 2018 its closest relative was identified as the South American dot-winged crake ("Porzana spiloptera"), both of which are nested within the genus "Laterallus".
Lesser florican
The lesser florican ("Sypheotides indicus"), also known as the likh or "kharmore", is the smallest in bustard family and the only member of the genus "Sypheotides". It is endemic to the Indian Subcontinent where it is found in tall grasslands and is best known for the leaping breeding displays made by the males during the Monsoon season. The male has a contrasting black and white breeding plumage and distinctive elongated head feathers that extend behind the neck. These bustards are found mainly in northwestern and central India during the summer but are found more widely distributed across India in winter. The species is highly endangered and has been extirpated in some parts of its range such as Pakistan. It is threatened both by hunting and habitat degradation. The only similar species is the Bengal florican ("Houbarobsis bengalensis") which is larger and lacks the white throat, collar and elongated plumes.
List of birds of Prince Edward Island
The storm-petrels are the smallest seabirds, relatives of the petrels, feeding on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like. Until 2018, this family's three species were included with the other storm-petrels in family Hydrobatidae.Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Hydrobatidae
Red-shouldered macaw
The red-shouldered macaw ("Diopsittaca nobilis") is a small green South American parrot, a member of a large group of Neotropical parrots called macaws. The species is named for the red coverts on its wings. It is the smallest macaw, being in length. It is native to the tropical lowlands, savannah, and swamplands of Venezuela, the Guianas, Bolivia, Brazil, and far south-eastern Peru. It has two distinct subspecies, the noble macaw and the Hahn's macaw, and a possible poorly distinct third subspecies that has longer wings, but is otherwise similar to the noble macaw. The Hahn's subspecies is named for German zoologist Carl-Wilhelm Hahn, who in 1834 began compiling "Ornithologischer Atlas oder naturgetreue Abbildung und Beschreibung der aussereuropäischen Vögel" (Engl: Ornithological Atlas or natural depiction and description of birds from outside Europe).
Discheramocephalus jarmilae
Discheramocephalus jarmilae is a species of feather-winged beetle, the smallest beetles on earth, first found in Bolivia.
Collared owlet
The collared owlet ("Glaucidium brodiei"), also known as the collared pygmy owl, is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. Its natural habitat is submontane and montane forests with open spaces and is distributed throughout oriental Asia. It is the smallest owl in Asia, at and .
Tinkerbella
Tinkerbella is a genus of fairy wasps, containing the single species Tinkerbella nana from Costa Rica. It is one of the smallest known flying arthropods and belongs to the family Mymaridae. The smallest flying arthropod known is "Megaphragma caribea", a trichogrammatid wasp that measures 170 micrometres long.
Least weasel
The least weasel ("Mustela nivalis"), common weasel, or simply weasel in the UK and much of the world, is the smallest member of the genus "Mustela," family Mustelidae and order Carnivora. It is native to Eurasia, North America and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Malta, Crete, Bermuda, Madeira Island, the Azores, the Canary Islands, São Tomé, the Falkland Islands, Argentina and Chile. It is classified as least concern by the IUCN, due to its wide distribution and large population throughout the Northern Hemisphere.
Kikiki
Kikiki is a genus of fairyfly wasps containing a single species, Kikiki huna, known from Hawaii, Costa Rica, and Trinidad. At (150 µm), it is the smallest known flying insect. It is a close relative of wasps in the genus "Tinkerbella". It was discovered by entomologist John S. Noyes after he swept a mesh net through vegetation at Costa Rica's La Selva Biological Station.
Flamecrest
The flamecrest is a small perching bird, resembling a warbler. Its length is only and weight about 7 g, making it is the smallest of all Taiwan's endemic bird species, and the smallest and most colourful member of its family in the world.
Fan-tailed raven
The fan-tailed raven ("Corvus rhipidurus") is a passerine bird of the crow family native to Eastern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Like the Forest raven, Little raven, Australian raven and Chihuahuan raven, it is one of the smaller raven species. The larger species of raven are the Common raven, Thick-billed raven, White-necked raven and Brown-necked raven with the Common and Thick-billed ravens being the world's largest raven species and the Little and Fan-tailed ravens being the smallest, in fact it is about the same size or slightly larger than the carrion crow (47–51 cm) but with a much thicker bill, shorter tail and much larger wings.
EDGE species
Some EDGE species, such as elephants and pandas, are well known and already receive considerable conservation attention, but many others, such as the Vaquita (the world’s rarest cetacean) the bumblebee bat (arguably the world’s smallest mammal) and the egg-laying long-beaked echidnas are highly threatened yet remain poorly understood and are frequently overlooked by existing conservation frameworks. Recent research indicates that 70% of the world’s most threatened and evolutionarily distinct mammal species are currently receiving little or no conservation attention.
Goldcrest
The goldcrest is the smallest European bird, in length, with a wingspan and a weight of . It is similar in appearance to a warbler, with olive-green upper-parts, buff-white underparts, two white wing bars, and a plain face with conspicuous black irises. The crown of the head has black sides and a narrow black front, and a bright crest, yellow with an orange centre in the male, and entirely yellow in the female; the crest is erected in display, making the distinctive orange stripe of the male much more conspicuous. The small, thin bill is black, and the legs are dark flesh-brown. Apart from the crest colour, the sexes are alike, although in fresh plumage, the female may have very slightly paler upper-parts and greyer underparts than the adult male. The juvenile is similar to the adult, but has duller upper-parts and lacks the coloured crown. Although the tail and flight feathers may be retained into the first winter, by then the young birds are almost indistinguishable from adults in the field. The flight is distinctive; it consists of whirring wing-beats with occasional sudden changes of direction. Shorter flights while feeding are a mix of dashing and fluttering with frequent hovering. It moves restlessly among foliage, regularly creeping on branches and up and down trunks.
Sivas Kumru Güvercin
The Sivas Kumru Güvercin or Sivas Dove Pigeon is a rather quite petite pigeon originated from Turkey. It belongs to voice pigeons family and mostly kept in the Sivas region of the country. One of its main characteristics is its unique and distinctive high pitch sound it makes like none other pigeon breed known. They are one of the smallest breeds of pigeons in the world today. Adults weighing less than 250 gram (7 ounces). There are many other breeds of pigeons with its own unique singing style. To name a few there are the English Trumpeter, the Arabian Trumpeter, Bokhara Trumpeter, Dresden Trumpeter, Altenburger Trumpeter, Franconian Trumpeter and so on. Each of these breeds have its own unique singing style with a common 'trumpeting' ability that varies in pitch degrees. Over the years of perfecting these breeds for Show purpose, color variations and looks, some of these pigeons within the voice pigeon breeds has lost this unique ability.
Lesser sand plover
The lesser sand plover ("Charadrius mongolus") is a small wader in the plover family of birds. The spelling is commonly given as lesser sand-plover, but the official British Ornithologists' Union spelling is "lesser sand plover". The genus name "Charadrius" is a Late Latin word for a yellowish bird mentioned in the fourth-century Vulgate. It derives from Ancient Greek "kharadrios" a bird found in ravines and river valleys ("kharadra", "ravine"). The specific "mongolus" is Latin and refers to Mongolia which at the time of naming referred to a larger area than the present country.
Cardinal (bird)
They are robust, seed-eating birds with strong bills. The family's smallest member is the 12-cm (4.7-in), 11.5-g (0.40-oz) orange-breasted bunting. They are typically associated with open woodland. The sexes usually have distinctive appearances. The northern cardinal type species was named by colonists for the male's red crest, reminiscent of a Catholic cardinal's biretta.
Buttonquail
The buttonquails are a group of small terrestrial birds. The smallest species is the quail-plover, the only species in the genus "Ortyxelos", which is in length and weighs only . The buttonquails in the genus "Turnix" range from in length and weigh between . They superficially resemble the true quails of the genus "Coturnix", but differ from them in lacking a hind toe and a crop. The females of this family also possess a unique vocal organ created by an enlarged trachea and inflatable bulb in the oesophagus, which they use to produce a booming call.
List of birds of Colombia
The storm-petrelss are relatives of the petrels and are the smallest seabirds. They feed on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like. Nine species have been recorded in Colombia.Order: CiconiiformesFamily: Ciconiidae
Dromornithidae
There are 7 species in Dromornithidae, the smallest species was "Barawertornis tedfordi", a bird about the size of a modern cassowary, weighing . The two species of "Ilbandornis" ("Ilbandornis lawsoni" and "Ilbandornis woodburnei") were larger birds, but had more slender legs than the other dromornithids and were similar to ostriches in their build and size. "Bullockornis planei" (the "demon duck of doom") and "Genyornis newtoni" (the "mihirung") were more heavily built, stood about tall and probably reached weights of . The largest dromornithids were "Dromornis australis" and the massive "Dromornis stirtoni" ("Stirton's thunderbird"). "Genyornis" is the best known genus.
List of birds of Morocco
The austral storm petrels are relatives of the petrels and are the smallest seabirds.Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: HydrobatidaeOrder: SuliformesFamily: Sulidae
List of birds of French Guiana
The storm-petrels are relatives of the petrels and are the smallest seabirds. They feed on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like. Three species have been recorded in French Guiana.Order: CiconiiformesFamily: Ciconiidae
Dwarf crocodile
The dwarf crocodile ("Osteolaemus tetraspis"), also known commonly as the African dwarf crocodile, broad-snouted crocodile, or bony crocodile, is an African crocodile that is also the smallest extant crocodile species. Recent sampling has identified three genetically distinct populations. Some feel that the findings should elevate the subspecies to full species status.
Tiny sunbird
The tiny sunbird is the smallest species in the genus. The adult male has a metallic green head, back and throat, dark brown wings, a metallic blue rump and a black tail with a purplish-blue sheen. It has a narrow blue breast band above a wider scarlet breast band, lemon-yellow pectoral tufts and a dark olive belly. The adult female has an olive-brown head and upper parts, dark brown wings and dark brown tail. There is an olive-yellow supercilium over the eye, the throat is grey and the underparts are olive washed with yellow. The eyes in both sexes are dark brown and the beak and legs are black. The juvenile resembles the female.
List of birds of Rhode Island
The storm-petrels are the smallest seabirds, relatives of the petrels, feeding on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like. Until 2018, this family's three species were included with the other storm-petrels in family Hydrobatidae.Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Hydrobatidae
White-toothed shrew
The outer layer of these shrews' teeth is white, unlike that of the red-toothed shrews. These species are typically found in Africa and southern Europe and Asia. This subfamily includes the largest shrew, the Asian house shrew ("Suncus murinus"), at about 15 cm in length, and the smallest, the Etruscan shrew ("Suncus etruscus"), at about 3.5 cm in length and 2 grams in weight. Shrews are possibly the world's smallest extant mammal (although some give this title to the bumblebee bat). "Crocidura" contains the most species of any mammal genus.
Phoridae
The Phoridae are a family of small, hump-backed flies resembling fruit flies. Phorid flies can often be identified by their escape habit of running rapidly across a surface rather than taking to the wing. This behaviour is a source of one of their alternate names, scuttle fly. Another vernacular name, coffin fly, refers to "Conicera tibialis". About 4,000 species are known in 230 genera. The most well-known species is cosmopolitan "Megaselia scalaris". At 0.4 mm in length, the world's smallest fly is the phorid "Euryplatea nanaknihali".
Smallest organisms
The Etruscan shrew ("Suncus etruscus"), is the smallest mammal by mass, weighing only about on average. The bumblebee bat has a smaller skull size. The smallest mammal that ever lived, the shrew-like "Batodonoides vanhouteni", weighed only .
Lesser frigatebird
The lesser frigatebird is the smallest species of frigatebird and measures in length with a wingspan of and long forked tails. Male birds weight . Female birds are heavier and weight . Like all frigatebirds the male has a large red sac on the front of the throat which is inflated during courtship. Courtship display also involves a variety of calls, bill rattling and spreading of the wings. The male is mostly all black save for a white patch on the flank which extends on to the underwing as a spur. Males also have a pale bar on the upper wing. Females have a black head and neck with a white collar and breast as well as a spur extending on to the underwing. The female also has a narrow red ring around the eye. Juveniles and immature birds are more difficult to differentiate but the presence of the spurs of white in the armpits is a helpful distinguishing sign.
Least auklet
The least auklet ("Aethia pusilla") is a seabird and the smallest species of auk. It is the most abundant seabird in North America, and one of the most abundant in the world, with a population of around nine million birds. They breed on the islands of Alaska and Siberia, and spend the winter close to the edge of the ice sheet. Their largest colonies are on the Aleutian Islands, St. Lawrence Island and Little Diomede Island.
Chatham Island merganser
The Chatham Islands merganser is known only from fossils and not much is known about the bird. It was the smallest of all "Mergus" species. Fossil records indicate it was widespread on Chatham Island but not on the smaller nearby islands.
Amethyst woodstar
The amethyst woodstar's natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest. At 7.5 cm (3 in) and under 3 grams in weight, this is one of the smallest birds in existence.
List of birds of Jamaica
The storm-petrels are the smallest seabirds, relatives of the petrels, feeding on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like. Until 2018, this family's species were included with the other storm-petrels in family Hydrobatidae.Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Hydrobatidae
New Zealand wren
The relationships between the genera and species are poorly understood. The extant genus "Acanthisitta" has one species, the rifleman and the other surviving genus, "Xenicus", includes the New Zealand rock wren and the recently extinct bushwren. Some authorities have retained Lyall's wren in "Xenicus" as well, but it is often afforded its own monotypic genus, "Traversia". The stout-legged wren (genus "Pachyplichas") was originally split into two species, but more recent research disputes this. The final genus was "Dendroscansor", which had one species, the long-billed wren.New Zealand wrens are tiny birds; the rifleman is the smallest of New Zealand's birds. Their length ranges from 7 to 10 cm and their weight from as little as 5–7 g for the rifleman to an estimated 50 g for the extinct stout-legged wren. The New Zealand rock wren (and probably the bushwren) weighs between 14 and 22 g and the extinct long-billed wren weighed around 30 g.
List of birds of Nevada
The storm-petrels are the smallest seabirds, relatives of the petrels, feeding on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like. One species has been recorded in Nevada.Order: CiconiiformesFamily: Ciconiidae
Least pygmy squirrel
The least pygmy squirrel ("Exilisciurus exilis"), also known as the plain pygmy squirrel, is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. This plain olive-brown squirrel is endemic to forest in Borneo and the Banggi Island. It is among the smallest squirrels in the world.
Kiwi
Kiwi ( ) or kiwis are flightless birds native to New Zealand, in the genus Apteryx and family Apterygidae. Approximately the size of a domestic chicken, kiwi are by far the smallest living ratites (which also consist of ostriches, emus, rheas, and cassowaries), and lay the largest egg in relation to their body size of any species of bird in the world.
Lesser goldfinch
This petite species is not only the smallest North American "Spinus" finch, it may be the smallest true finch in the world. Some sources list more subtropical "Spinus" species as slightly smaller on average, including the Andean siskin. This species ranges from in length and can weigh from . Among standard measurements, the wing chord is , the tail is , the bill is and the tarsus is . There is a slight NW-SE cline in size, with the largest birds from Mexico and south being up to one-fifth larger than the smallest from the extreme NW of its range; this effect is more pronounced in females. There is also considerable variation in the amount of black on head and back in males, and thus three subspecies have been proposed. But this variation too seem to be simple and clinal changes in allele frequency, and thus the "subspecies" might be better considered morphs or geographical forms.
Males are easily recognized by their bright yellow underparts and big white patches in the tail (outer rectrices) and on the wings (the base of the primaries). They range from having solid black from the back to the upper head including the ear-coverts to having these regions medium green; each of the back, crown and ear regions varies in darkness rather independently though as a rule the ears are not darker than the rest. In most of the range dark psaltria birds (Arkansas goldfinch) predominate. The light birds are termed hesperophilus and are most common in the far western U.S. and northwestern Mexico.
Lesser flamingo
The lesser flamingo is the smallest species of flamingo, though it is a tall and large bird by most standards. The species can weigh from . The standing height is around . The total length (from beak to tail) and wingspan are in the same range of measurements, from . Most of the plumage is pinkish white. The clearest difference between this species and the greater flamingo, the only other Old World species of flamingo, is the much more extensive black on the bill. Size is less helpful unless the species are together, since the sexes of each species also differ in height.
Least bittern
The least bittern is one of the smallest herons in the world, with perhaps only the dwarf bittern and the black-backed bittern averaging smaller in length. It can measure from in length, and the wingspan ranges from . Body mass is from , with most least bitterns weighing between , making this perhaps the lightest of all herons. A recent manual of avian body masses cites another species in this genus, the stripe-backed bittern, as having a mean body mass slightly lower than the least bittern, which is credited with a mean mass of .
Discheramocephalus brucei
Discheramocephalus brucei is a species of feather-winged beetle, the smallest beetles on earth, first found in Cameroon.
Hummingbird
Hummingbirds are specialized nectarivores and are tied to the ornithophilous flowers upon which they feed. Some species, especially those with unusual bill shapes such as the sword-billed hummingbird and the sicklebills, are co-evolved with a small number of flower species. The bee hummingbird ("Mellisuga helenae") – the world's smallest bird – evolved to dwarfism likely because it had to compete with long-billed hummingbirds having an advantage for nectar foraging from specialized flowers, consequently leading the bee hummingbird to more successfully compete for flower foraging against insects.
Little sparrowhawk
The little sparrowhawk ("Accipiter minullus") is a species of Afrotropical bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is the smallest member of the genus "Accipiter" and forms a superspecies with the red-thighed sparrowhawk ("Accipiter erythropus").
Black catbird
The black catbird ("Melanoptila glabrirostris") is a songbird species in the monotypic genus Melanoptila, part of the family Mimidae. At in length and in mass, it is the smallest of the mimids. Sexes appear similar, with glossy black plumage, black legs and bill, and dark brownish eyes. The species is endemic to the Yucatán Peninsula, and is found as far south as Campeche, northern Guatemala and northern Belize. Although there are historical records from Honduras and the US state of Texas, the species is not now known to occur in either location. It is found at low elevations in semi-arid to humid habitats ranging from shrubland and abandoned farmland to woodland with thick understory, and is primarily sedentary.
Little spotted kiwi
The little spotted kiwi or little gray kiwi, "Apteryx owenii", is a small flightless bird in the kiwi family Apterygidae. It is the smallest species of kiwi, at about , about the size of a bantam. It is endemic to New Zealand, and in pre-European times occurred in both main islands, but is now restricted to a number of small offshore islands and mainland reserves protected by pest-exclusion fences.
Scydosella
Scydosella is a genus of beetles that consists of only one species Scydosella musawasensis. The species is regarded as the smallest free-living insect, as well as the smallest beetle. They are among featherwing beetle, named because of their feather-like spiny wings. It was first discovered in Nicaragua, and described in 1999 by Wesley Eugene Hall of the University of Nebraska State Museum. The initial discovery consisted of very few specimens, and exact measurements were not conclusive. Because of their tiny size, they were difficult to observe under microscope after preservation. The generally accepted size was 0.300 mm in length. On 8 February 2015, Alexey Polilov of the Lomonosov Moscow State University collected 85 specimens in Chicaque National Park, Colombia. They were discovered on a layer of fungus on which they feed. From these specimens exact measurements could be made, and was found that the smallest individual is only 0.325 mm long. The largest individual is 0.352 mm long, and the average length of all the specimens is 0.338 mm. The body is elongated and oval in shape, yellowish-brown in colour, and its antennae are split into 10 segments.
Red-billed gull
It is the smallest gull commonly seen in New Zealand; a recent estimate of the population puts it at half a million birds in the country. Until recently it was regarded as a subspecies of the silver gull found in Australia, and the two species are very similar in appearance. However the most recent research suggests that they are not particularly closely related.
Rufous piculet
The rufous piculet ("Sasia abnormis") is a species of bird in the family Picidae.
It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. This species is one of the world's smallest woodpeckers and is the smallest woodpecker found outside the Americas. In this species the length can range from and the average body mass is around .
List of birds of Ghana
The storm-petrels are the smallest seabirds, relatives of the petrels, feeding on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like. Until 2018, this family's species were included with the other storm-petrels in family Hydrobatidae.Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Hydrobatidae
List of birds of Georgia (U.S. state)
The storm-petrels are the smallest seabirds, relatives of the petrels, feeding on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like. Until 2018, this family's three species were included with the other storm-petrels in family Hydrobatidae. One species of this family has been recorded in Georgia.
Lesser frigatebird
The lesser frigatebird ("Fregata ariel") is a seabird of the frigatebird family Fregatidae. At around 75 cm (30 in) in length, it is the smallest species of frigatebird. It occurs over tropical and subtropical waters across the Indian and Pacific Oceans as well as off the Atlantic coast of Brazil.
Macaw
The largest macaws are the hyacinth, Buffon's (great green) and green-winged macaws. While still relatively large, macaws of the genera "Cyanopsitta", "Orthopsittaca" and "Primolius" are significantly smaller than the members of "Anodorhynchus" and "Ara". The smallest member of the family, the red-shouldered macaw, is no larger than some parakeets of the genus "Aratinga".
Hindmarsh Island
The Australian magpie ("Gymnorhina tibicen") is a medium-sized black and white bird native to Australia. It is found all over the Island, making it the most common bird viewed on Hindmarsh Island.The Barn owl ("Tyto alba") is an owl that is only found around the coastline of Australia. It makes a distinctive sound, when it is positioned in a high tree mostly during the night. The forests on Hindmarsh Island are a popular place for the owls to live.The little penguin ("Eudyptula minor") is the smallest species of penguin. The penguins used to be found along the south coast of the Island, until the 1970s when people where inhabiting the island, the penguins struggled for survival and eventually became extinct in the late 1970s.
Grand Teton National Park
Over 300 species of birds have been sighted in the park including the calliope hummingbird, the smallest bird species in North America, as well as trumpeter swans, which is North America's largest waterfowl. In addition to trumpeter swans, another 30 species of waterfowl have been recorded including blue-winged teal, common merganser, American wigeon and the colorful but reclusive harlequin duck which is occasionally spotted in Cascade Canyon. Both bald and golden eagles and other birds of prey such as the osprey, red-tailed hawk, American kestrel and occasional sightings of peregrine falcon have been reported. Of the 14 species of owls reported, the most common is the great horned owl, though the boreal owl and great grey owl are also seen occasionally. A dozen species of woodpeckers have been reported, as have a similar number of species of warblers, plovers and gulls. The vocal and gregarious black-billed magpie frequents campgrounds while Steller's jay and Clark's nutcracker are found in the backcountry. The sage covered plains of Jackson Hole are favored areas for sage grouse, Brewer's sparrow and sage thrashers, while the wetlands are frequented by great blue heron, American white pelican, sandhill crane and on rare occasions it's endangered relative, the whooping crane.
List of birds of the U.S. Virgin Islands
The storm-petrels are the smallest seabirds, relatives of the petrels, feeding on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like. Until 2018, this family's species were included with the other storm-petrels in family Hydrobatidae.Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Hydrobatidae
List of birds of Panama
The storm-petrels are the smallest seabirds, relatives of the petrels, feeding on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like. Until 2018, this family's three species were included with the other storm-petrels in family Hydrobatidae.Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Hydrobatidae
List of birds of Leicestershire and Rutland
The storm-petrels are the smallest seabirds, feeding on plankton and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. They nest in colonies on the ground, most often in burrows. There are about 20 species worldwide, two of which are rare vagrants to Leicestershire and Rutland.
Thrush (bird)
Thrushes are plump, soft-plumaged, small to medium-sized birds, inhabiting wooded areas, and often feeding on the ground. The smallest thrush may be the forest rock thrush, at and . However, the shortwings, which have ambiguous alliances with both thrushes and Old World flycatchers, can be even smaller. The lesser shortwing averages . The largest thrush is the blue whistling thrush, at and . The great thrush is similar in length, but less heavily built. Most species are grey or brown in colour, often with speckled underparts.
Least grebe
The least grebe ("Tachybaptus dominicus"), an aquatic bird, is the smallest member of the grebe family. It occurs in the New World from the southwestern United States and Mexico to Chile and Argentina, and also on Trinidad and Tobago, the Bahamas and the Greater Antilles.
Mixed-species foraging flock
African rainforests also hold mixed-species flocks, the core species including bulbuls and sunbirds, and attendants being as diverse as the red-billed dwarf hornbill and the tit-hylia, the smallest bird of Africa. Drongos and paradise-flycatchers are sometimes described as the sentinels of the flock, but they are also known to steal prey from other flock members. Acanthizidae are typical core members in New Guinea and Australia; in Australia, fairy-wrens are also significant. The core species are joined by birds of other families such as minivets.
Myiornis
Myiornis is a bird genus in the family Tyrannidae. Discounting the hummingbirds, they are some of the smallest birds in the world.
Small blue
The small blue ("Cupido minimus") is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. Despite its common name, it is not particularly blue. The male has some bluish suffusion at the base of its upper wings but is mostly dark brown like the female. The species can live in colonies of up to several hundred and in its caterpillar stage is cannibalistic. The small blue is known for being the smallest butterfly found in the United Kingdom. It is a Priority Species for conservation in Northern Ireland and under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan.
Coscoroba swan
The coscoroba swan ("Coscoroba coscoroba") is a species of waterfowl endemic to southern South America. It is the smallest of the birds called “swans”, but still a large species of waterfowl. It belongs to the subfamily Anserinae in the family of ducks, swans, and geese, Anatidae. It is placed in the monotypic genus "Coscoroba". The coscoroba swan is traditionally considered as an early branch from the common ancestor leading to true geese and swans, and recent genetic studies have associated a phylogenetic relationship between this species and the Cape Barren goose ("Cereopsis novaehollandiae") as sister groups.
Ornithoptera meridionalis
Ornithoptera meridionalis, the southern tailed birdwing, is the smallest species of the genus "Ornithoptera". It is known from a handful of localities in southeast Papua, New Guinea ("O. meridionalis meridionalis") and several localities along the south coast of Irian Jaya ("O. meridionalis tarunggarensis").
Pygmy eagle
The pygmy eagle or New Guinea hawk-eagle ("Hieraaetus weiskei") is a bird of prey found in New Guinea. Its natural habitats are primarily subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest. It is the smallest species of eagle.
Elf owl
The elf owl ("Micrathene whitneyi") is a member of the owl family Strigidae, that breeds in the southwestern United States and Mexico. It is the world's lightest owl, although the long-whiskered owlet and the Tamaulipas pygmy owl are of a similarly diminutive length. It is also the world's smallest owl. The mean body weight of this species is . These tiny owls are long and have a wingspan of about . Their primary projection extends nearly past their tail. They have fairly long legs and often appear bow-legged. They can often be heard calling to one another just after dusk or at sunset. Their call is a high-pitched whinny or chuckle. The male and female dart around trees and call back and forth.
List of birds of the British Virgin Islands
The storm-petrels are the smallest seabirds, relatives of the petrels, feeding on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like. Until 2018, this family's species were included with the other storm-petrels in family Hydrobatidae.Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Hydrobatidae
Discheramocephalus minutissimus
Discheramocephalus minutissimus is a species of feather-winged beetle, the smallest beetles on earth, first found in Indonesia. This species' adults have a body length of approximately 400 to 426µm. According to Grebennikov, the main factor limiting miniaturisation of female insects is an egg size significant enough in size to produce viable larvae. This size threshold is sometimes overcome, reaching limits of 180 and 130 µm in females and males, respectively, according to the author. Brain size is possibly the second most important factor limiting miniaturisation in this class.
List of birds of the United States
The storm-petrels are the smallest seabirds, relatives of the petrels, feeding on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like. Until 2018, these three species were included with the other storm-petrels in family Hydrobatidae.Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Hydrobatidae
Kitti's hog-nosed bat
Kitti's hog-nosed bat is the smallest species of bat and arguably the world's smallest mammal. It has a reddish-brown or grey coat, with a distinctive pig-like snout. Colonies range greatly in size, with an average of 100 individuals per cave. The bat feeds during short activity periods in the evening and dawn, foraging around nearby forest areas for insects. Females give birth annually to a single offspring.
Bee hummingbird
The bee hummingbird, zunzuncito or Helena hummingbird ("Mellisuga helenae") is a species of hummingbird which is the world's smallest bird. It is endemic to Cuba and the Isle of Pines.
Bee hummingbird
The bee hummingbird is the smallest living bird. Females weigh and are long, and are slightly larger than males, with an average weight of and length of . As its name suggests, it is scarcely larger than a bee. Like all hummingbirds, it is a swift, strong flier.
List of birds of Florida
The storm-petrels are the smallest seabirds, relatives of the petrels, feeding on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like. Until 2018, this family's three species were included with the other storm-petrels in family Hydrobatidae.Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Hydrobatidae
Quelea
Quelea is a genus of small passerine birds that belongs to the weaver family Ploceidae, confined to Africa. These are small-sized, sparrow- or finch-like gregarious birds, with bills adapted to eating seeds. Queleas may be nomadic over vast ranges; the red-billed quelea is said to be the most numerous bird species in the world.
Heterandria formosa
Heterandria formosa (known as the least killifish, mosqu or midget livebearer) is a species of livebearing fish within the family Poeciliidae. This is the same family that includes familiar aquarium fishes such as guppies and mollies. "H. formosa" is not as commonly kept in aquaria as these species. "H. formosa" is one of the smallest fish in the world (7th smallest ), and is the smallest fish found in North America. Despite the common name "least killifish", it belongs to the family Poeciliidae and not to one of the killifish families.
List of birds of North Carolina
The storm-petrels are the smallest seabirds, relatives of the petrels, feeding on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like. Until 2018, this family's three species were included with the other storm-petrels in family Hydrobatidae. All three species have been recorded in North Carolina.Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Hydrobatidae
White-tailed tropicbird
The white-tailed tropicbird "(Phaethon lepturus)" is a tropicbird. It is the smallest of three closely related seabirds of the tropical oceans and smallest member of the order Phaethontiformes. It is found in the tropical Atlantic, western Pacific and Indian Oceans. It also breeds on some Caribbean islands, and a few pairs have started nesting recently on Little Tobago, joining the red-billed tropicbird colony. In addition to the tropical Atlantic, it nests as far north as Bermuda, where it is locally called a "longtail".