The variety of birds is amazing. Among them there are real giants, such as African ostriches, whose weight can reach 150 kilograms, and very tiny creatures weighing no more than a few grams. The smallest birds in the world - we will find out who entered our top 10 birds-babies.
10. Horned Hummingbird | 12 centimeters
The representative of the smallest and most beautiful birds opens the rating - Horned hummingbird. Like all birds of this family, it has a bright and eye-catching color. Plumage of copper-green color. The throat and front of the neck are deep velvety black. The abdomen is white. The body length of one of the smallest birds in the world is about 12 centimeters. It lives in the steppes of the Brazilian province of Minas Gerais.
9. Korolkovy reel | 12 centimeters
King reel with a body length of 11-12 centimeters takes 9th place in the list the smallest birds in the world. This small bird lives in the highlands. It is found in the Caucasus, Turkey, Pakistan, Iran, India. Since the kingly finch breeds well in captivity, it can also be found in Europe.
8. Banana singer | 11 centimeters
On the 8th place in the list of the smallest birds in the world banana singer. This charming bird has a length of 11 centimeters. It lives in the humid forests and gardens of Central and South America. Appearance of a banana singer is remarkable. The back is gray, chest and abdomen are bright yellow. There is a black hat on his head. The beak is small and curved down. A banana singer, like hummingbirds, eats nectar, berry juice and small insects. Unlike hummingbirds, birds cannot hang in the air. The banana singer has a long forked tongue, covered with plates, adapted for the extraction of nectar.
An interesting fact: the female and the male banana singer, unlike most other birds, look exactly the same.
7. Foxtail cysticol | 10 centimeters
Foxtail cysticol takes 7th place in our ranking of the tiniest birds on Earth. Body length - 10 centimeters. Distributed everywhere. He prefers to settle in not too arid landscapes near water bodies with vegetation and agricultural land. In India, a bird can often be seen in rice fields.
6. Green wand | 10 centimeters
Green wand 6th in the ranking of the smallest birds on the planet. This tiny songbird weighs 8 grams with a body length of 10 centimeters. Outwardly, she looks rather inconspicuous: an olive-green back and a dirty-white abdomen.
The green froth inhabits mixed forests of Central Europe, alpine coniferous forests and southern taiga. The bird leads a secretive lifestyle, hiding high in the crowns of trees. The diet consists of small insects, spiders and mollusks.
5. Wren | 9 centimeters
On the 5th place in the ranking of the smallest birds in the world - wren. Body length - 9-10 cm. Externally, the bird looks like a lump of feathers with a tail sticking up provisionally. It lives in North America, Eurasia and North Africa. It prefers raw mixed, coniferous and deciduous forests, ravines, thickets near rivers, moorlands. The wren flies reluctantly, tries to stay closer to the ground and quickly gets through the thicket.
The wren has a strong voice, similar in beauty to the singing of a nightingale, so the bird is appreciated among lovers of songbirds.
4. The buffy hummingbird | 8 centimeters
Fourth place in our ranking is buffy hummingbird - the only species of hummingbird, the smallest bird on Earth, which is found in Russia. Body length - 8 centimeters, weight - from 3 to 4 grams. The male has a brighter color - ocher-red plumage, white goiter and a bronze-green cap. The plumage of the female is greenish above, the bottom is white, and the sides are buffy.
The bird lives in North America, and goes to Mexico for the winter. In Russia, a buffy hummingbird was seen on Ratmanov Island. There is also information about the bird flies to Chukotka, but there is no documentary evidence of this fact.
3. Kings 9 centimeters
Kings - one of the smallest birds on the planet. For their tiny size, they are called "northern hummingbirds." The body length does not exceed 9 centimeters, and weight - 5-7 grams. They prefer to settle in coniferous forests. Kings are hardy crumbs that can withstand harsh climates. They live in the crowns of tall trees, feed on seeds, eggs and insect larvae.
All species of kings have a peculiar appearance that distinguishes them from other birds. Their main feature is bright crests that adorn the tops. Kings know how to raise and lower them. These are very mobile birds, constantly searching for food for food from branch to branch and sometimes hanging upside down on thin branches. The kinglet has melodious singing, which can be heard during the breeding season or with strong excitement of the bird.
2. Short beak | 8 centimeters
Ranked second in our ranking short beak refers to the smallest birds inhabiting Australia. Body length - 8 centimeters, weight - 6 grams. Lives in a wooded area, preferring eucalyptus forests.
1. Hummingbird bee | 5 centimeters
In first place among the tiniest birds in the world - hummingbird bee. This miniature creature in length reaches only 5-6 centimeters. The weight of the crumbs is 2 grams. Two paper clips weigh the same amount. Hummingbird-bee is found only in Cuba. She lives in vineyards rich in vines in several areas of the island. It feeds only on nectar. Hummingbird bees build nests from cobwebs, lichens and bark with a diameter of about two centimeters. A clutch usually has two pea-sized eggs.
Hummingbirds are some of the most amazing creatures on the planet. The speed of their metabolism is amazing. To save energy, they have to collect nectar from one and a half thousand flowers per day. In a calm state, the heart of these babies beats with a huge frequency - 300 beats per minute. At night, all species of hummingbirds become numb. If during the day the temperature of the bodies of babies is 43 ° С, then at night it drops to 20 ° С, that is, by half. With the onset of morning, hummingbirds “come to life”.
Hummingbird females take care of the chicks very carefully. It is believed that babies need to be fed every 8-10 minutes, otherwise they weaken and may die. The female has to take care of the chicks and have time to get food for herself. Surprisingly, almost all hummingbird chicks survive.