The birds are one of the most interesting animals in the animal kingdom, since their characteristics, way of life and ability to navigate flying skies has amazed hundreds of people over time.
Birds have different flight styles depending on the species and different anatomical characteristics, such as body size, wings and tail. For this reason, we present the following article so you can discover what is the smallest bird in the world Keep reading!
What is the smallest bird of prey in the world?
The pygmy owl (Micrathene whitneyi) is one of the smallest owls in the world and also the smallest bird of prey, since it measures a mere 15 centimeters in length. The species is native to the United States, where it inhabits areas of subtropical and tropical forest, as well as scrub and savannah.
The Pygmy Owl feeds on various flying insects, such as moths. It is a nocturnal animal, so during the day it hides in the holes of the cacti to protect itself from the heat of the sun. At night, on the other hand, it leaves its lair to hunt its prey.
Also discover which are the smallest tropical birds.
What is the smallest bird egg in the world?
Knowing which is the smallest bird of prey, have you stopped to think, what species of bird does the smallest egg in the world belong to?
The smaller bird eggs come from the hummingbird, that species whose wings can move more than 100 times per second and that feeds on the nectar of flowers, insects and spiders that it catches when visiting the flowers. Hummingbird eggs are only 8 to 10 millimeters long, weighing less than half a gram. What does this mean? To give you a clearer idea, such small dimensions imply that hummingbird eggs are no bigger than a pea. Despite this, they are easy to identify due to their white color and oval shape.
In each clutch, the hummingbird lays only 1 or 2 eggs. When the shells hatch, the young are born featherless, with their eyes closed, and are about half an inch long, causing many to be eaten by predators before they develop.
What is the smallest bird in Spain?
The fauna of Spain is made up of more than 1,200 species, where the bird fauna is made up of more than 368 different species. Do you want to know which of these is the smallest bird in Spain? Find out below!
This is the single wren (Regulus regulus), a bird characterized by a greenish-colored body on the back, dark wings and a yellow stripe on his head. The song of this species is very high-pitched and repetitive, making it easy to identify.
In Spain it lives in mountainous and humid areas to the north of the Iberian Peninsula, although it is also present in the forests of theCanary Islands It feeds exclusively on insects and during the breeding season lays between 6 and 13 eggs, which it incubates for 15 or 16 days.
Although it is not considered a threatened species in Spain, it can be affected by forest fires, logging and the use of pesticides.
You may be interested in discovering how to attract birds to your garden.
What is the smallest bird in the world?
Although the pygmy owl is the smallest bird of prey, when it comes to birds of all kinds, there is another even smaller species, and it is the zunzuncito or bee hummingbird(Mellisuga helenae). The zunzuncito is a hummingbird native to Cuba that measures only 5 centimeters when it reaches adulthood.
Hummingbird feathers are vividly colored in shades of red and metallic blue in males, while females have bluish-green plumage. Despite its small size, the species is capable of beating its wings up to 200 times per second. Like most hummingbirds, it feeds on the nectar of flowers and lives mainly in forests and gardens.
And the second smallest bird in the world?
The second smallest bird in the world is the Hummingbird(Mellisuga minima), as it reaches 6 centimeters in length in adulthood and weighs a mere 2.5 grams. It lives in Latin America, mainly in the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Jamaica, where it prefers to live in areas of tropical and subtropical rain forests. In addition, it is also possible to find it near agricultural plantations, gardens and scrub forests. As for its plumage, the back is metallic green, while the chest and belly are pale green.
Don't miss our article on which is the largest bird in the world!
