The smallest bird in the world is the Bee Hummingbird. This miniature flier represents an extreme in bird biology, demonstrating that complex life can be sustained within incredibly small physical dimensions. The Bee Hummingbird is often mistaken for a large insect due to its minuscule size.
The Bee Hummingbird: World’s Smallest Avian Species
The Bee Hummingbird, Mellisuga helenae, holds the distinction as the smallest known living bird species. It belongs to the hummingbird family (Trochilidae), known for exceptional flight capabilities and rapid metabolism. The species was first described in 1850 and is sometimes called zunzuncito in Cuba. Like its relatives, the Bee Hummingbird is an agile flier, able to hover and move in any direction, including backward. Its common name comes from its resemblance to a large bumblebee when flitting between flowers.
Tiny Dimensions and Physical Characteristics
The total length of the Bee Hummingbird, from beak tip to tail, measures between 5 and 6.1 centimeters. Females are slightly larger than males, reaching 6.1 centimeters and weighing around 2.6 grams. Males average 5.5 centimeters and approximately 1.95 grams, a weight less than two pennies. The bird’s wingspan measures about 3.25 centimeters across.
Female Bee Hummingbirds are generally bluish-green on their upper bodies with pale gray undersides. The male is more visually striking, featuring a bright, iridescent red or pink throat and head, called a gorget, which contrasts with its bluish upper parts. The female constructs a tiny, cup-shaped nest roughly 2.5 centimeters in diameter, using materials like spider webs and lichen. She typically lays two elliptical eggs, each about the size of a coffee bean or a pea.
Ecology and Unique Habitat
The Bee Hummingbird is found exclusively in the Cuban archipelago, including the main island of Cuba and the nearby Isla de la Juventud. This species occupies various habitats, such as dense coastal forests, swampy areas, and gardens. It demonstrates territoriality, aggressively defending its feeding patch against intruders.
Its diet consists primarily of flower nectar, which it sips using a long tongue while hovering. To sustain its high energy demands, the bird must also consume small insects and spiders. The Bee Hummingbird has the highest mass-specific metabolic rate of any warm-blooded animal, requiring it to eat almost its entire body weight daily. This energy expenditure is fueled by a wing beat that can reach up to 80 beats per second during normal flight and up to 200 per second during courtship displays.