TOP 10 smallest birds in the world

As of 2016, 10,612 bird species are known to science. But which one is the smallest among them? Below is a list with photos of the ten smallest birds on Earth.

10. Red-breasted Wagtail
The Red-breasted Wagtail is a songbird that is widespread in dry areas of Australia with little vegetation. Their body length reaches 10-13 cm, weight 10-11 grams. They feed on a variety of insects, spiders and the nectar of desert flowers.

9. Tropical Parula
Tropical parula - a species of songbirds widespread in Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Venezuela, Guatemala, Guiana, Ecuador, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, USA, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Guyana and Honduras. Their body length is 11 cm, weight is about 6 g. They feed mainly on insects and spiders, sometimes berries.

8. Banana songbird
Banana warbler is one of the smallest birds in the world, living in humid forests, parks and gardens of South and Central America, from northern Argentina to southern Mexico. They grow up to 11 cm in length. The basis of their diet is nectar, insects, and berry juice. Since 1970, the banana songbird has been the state symbol of the US Virgin Islands (USA).

7. American siskin
The American siskin is a bird species that is widespread throughout the United States. Their body length reaches 11–12 cm, wingspan 20–22 cm, weight 11–20 g. They feed on seeds, shoots, buds, needles and invertebrates. Since 1933, the American siskin has been the official symbol of the state of Iowa (USA), where it can be found everywhere. Included in the list of the most beautiful birds in the world.

6. Brown gerygone
Sixth place in the ranking of the smallest birds is occupied by the Brown Gerigone, a bird species that is widespread in the coastal rainforests of Australia. Their body length is 10 cm. They feed mainly on insects. They usually live in groups of two to four individuals.

5. Yellow-headed Kinglet
The yellow-headed kinglet is a small bird that lives in coniferous and mixed forests of Eurasia, as well as in the Canary and Azores. Their body length is 9–10 cm, weight 4–8 g, wingspan 15–17 cm. They feed mainly on seeds of coniferous trees, small invertebrates and their larvae. The yellow-headed kinglet is the national bird of Luxembourg.

4. Golden-headed Cisticola
The golden-headed cisticola is a small bird species found in the wetlands of Australia, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, New Guinea, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Grow up to 10 cm in length, weigh 10 grams. They feed on insects and seeds. Considered the best "tailors" among birds, they often use spider threads to build their nest.

3. Leopard rainbow bird
The leopard rainbowbird is a bird species that inhabits the gallery forests of Australia. They feed exclusively on insects and spiders. This beautiful small bird with colorful plumage grows from 8 to 10 cm in length.

2. Shortbill
The Shortbill is a very active bird found in pairs or small groups in wooded areas throughout mainland Australia. Their body length is 8-9 cm, weight 5 grams. They feed mainly on insects and larvae.

1. Bee Hummingbird
The bee hummingbird is the smallest bird in the world and lives in the forested areas rich in epiphytes and lianas on the main island of Cuba. Their body length is 5-6 cm, weight 1.6-2 grams. Only 15 species of plants from 15 different genera feed exclusively on nectar. In one day, a bee hummingbird can visit 1,500 flowers. Interestingly, the heart of this bird makes from 300 to 500 beats per minute. And when hovering in the air, the oscillation frequency of its wings reaches 90 strokes per second.