18 Astonishing Birds With Small Wings
That You'll Love!

What’s This Post About?

Birds are beautiful creatures that are capable of so many things. You learn something new about birds every day; that’s how erratic and full of surprises they are. They come in different shapes and sizes, along with endless features that make them who they are.

A bird’s wings are their most prominent and functional feature. They make them stand out, fly away, take off, and escape dangerous situations. This not only ensures their survival but also helps them move away from locations that no longer serve them.

Continue reading to find out more about birds with small wings!

There are many birds with tiny wings. Some of the most common ones include Bee Humming Bird, Red-Cheeked Cordon Bleu, Bananaquit, Verdin, Spotted Pardalote, Gold-Crest, Willow Tit, Lesser Goldfinch, Weebill, Downy Woodpecker, Dark-Eyed Junco, Bewick Wren, Rudy Crowned Kinglet, and Yellow-Rumped Warbler.

Birds with Small Wings

Have you ever seen a little bird with small wings trying to stay afloat in the air by flapping its wings? Have you ever thought of how these tiny little creatures manage to lift their weight simply by flapping their wings? If so, then you’re not alone.

Bird watchers often find themselves intrigued by these little details that no one else notices. And to answer your questions about these tiny, winged birds, we have compiled a list of birds for you to look into.

You can learn more about how these birds use their wings and stay in the air for longer hours.

Here’s a list of 18 birds with small wings. First, let us look over the list and then explore each one individually.

1. Bee Hummingbird

The bee hummingbird is the smallest bird globally, with an average height of two and a quarter inches, weighing less than two grams.

This bird’s population is near threatened to extinction and is often mistaken for a bee which makes its survival difficult in the wild.

Bee hummingbird’s wingspan is about 1.5 inches (3 cm), which they flap at a rate of 80 beats per second which helps them fly upside down and backward at times.

Fun Fact

Bee hummingbirds are reported to have the world's second-fastest heartbeat.

2. Red-cheeked Cordon Bleu

Red-cheeked Cordon Bleu is a small finch weighing only 9.9 grams and measuring only between 3-5 inches (12.5-13 cm).

They can easily be identified with their slim, long tail, pale brown, and blue plumage. They have a wingspan of about 8.5-9.5 inches (22-24 cm).

As a bird watcher, you can easily tell them apart because the males have a magenta blotting the cheeks on their faces.

They’re said to have a wide range; although they’re native to Africa, they are found in the United States. They prefer inhabiting thorny areas and dry grasslands.

3. Bananaquit

Bananaquit is a small bird whose length ranges from 4-5 inches (10-13 cm), weighing up to 19 grams only and having a wingspan of about 7.5 inches (20 cm). They primarily feed on fruits and nectar from flowers and are often seen visiting backyard feeders at times.

Bananaquit is native to the Caribbean Islands and is rarely sighted in Florida as well; these species have an extensive range and have a steady population growth rate.

So if you’re a bird watcher living in Florida, make sure you keep an eye out for these tiny birds.

4. Verdin

Verdin is a small bird with a bright yellow-colored face that stretches back and fades into the rest of its plumage on the top part of its tiny head.

Its length is 4.5 inches (11 cm) and weighs about 6.8 grams. It has a wingspan of roughly about 6.5 inches (16.5 cm).

They’re permanent residents of Mexico and Southwest of the United States (Southern California, Nevada, and Utah).

They prefer living in arid habitats and inhabit desert shrubbery with thorny trees and avoid both open and deep forest lands with concentrated vegetation.

5. Spotted Pardalote

Spotted pardalote is one of the most colorful bird species out there; they are also known as diamond birds because of their attractive spotted plumage that runs over the uppermost of this bird’s body, from its head to its tail.

It’s a tiny bird with an average size ranging from 3 to 4 inches (8-10 cm), weighing around 6 grams. They have a wingspan of about 7 inches (18 cm).

They’re primarily found in forests, woodlands, gardens, backyard feeders and remain relatively widespread in urban areas.

6. Gold-Crest

Gold-crest is a small brown bird with yellow spotting on the top of its head. Their average size is about 3-4 inches (8 to 9 cm), with a weight of 4.5-7 grams and a wingspan of 5.3-6 inches (13.5- 15.5 cm).

These little brown birds have a broad range, with a total population estimated at 80 to 200 million. They love roaming about in coniferous woodlands and parks with mature trees.

They stick with their families and at times travel in flocks of other birds during fall and winter.

7. Willow Tit

Willow tit is a small brown bird with a white neck and a black-capped head, making it look like it’s wearing a ski mask.

It’s small in size; its length is at an average height of 4.5 inches (11.5 cm) with a wingspan of 6.7 to 8 inches (17 to 20.5 cm) and weighs roughly around 11 grams. They prefer inhabiting areas that are damp such as marshes and gravel pits.

However, they sometimes visit backyard feeders too, although they’re a rarity in the U.S., you should still keep an eye out for these chubby little birds as they often find their way to birdfeeders installed in backyards.

8. Lesser Goldfinch

It’s a small songbird species and the smallest goldfinch with a yellow plumage and blackish bill. Their average size is 3.5 to 4.3 inches weighing about 8 to 11.5 grams with a wingspan of 5.9 to 7.9 inches (15 to 20 cm).

It’s a fast little bird that likes to hover about and jerk its tail a lot while feeding.

They’re primarily found in the western and central-western part of the U.S., so if you’re a resident there and are also a bird watcher, you should keep an eye out for these cute little birds as they might visit your backyard with their large flock during the summer season.

9. Weebill

Weebill is a small gregarious bird with cream and brownish-yellow plumage. They prefer living in dryer areas, open woodlands, and forests.

Their length averages 3 to 3.5 inches (8 to 9 cm), weighing an average of 6 grams. Their wingspan is roughly about 5.9 inches (15 cm).

The weebill inhabits the wooden areas and avoids wet forests.

They’re native to Australia and are a rarity in the U.S, so if you happen to come across one in your backyard, consider yourself lucky and relish the moment because it’s a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence, especially with their given range and population concentration.

10. Hummingbird

Hummingbirds are stark-colored birds with sharp and pointy beaks. Their average height is 3.9 inches (10 cm) and weighs about 4 to 4.5 grams. Their wingspan is 4 to 4.75 inches. There are about 27 different species of hummingbirds found in the U.S across the states.

If you’re an avid bird watcher and would like hummingbirds to frequent your backyard, then you’ll have to invest in flowers and feeders to attract them to your backyard.

They are pleasant guests to have in your backyard since they eat about every insect that might damage your garden.

Consider exploring the Perky Pet Hummingbird Feeder for your backyard.

Perky-Pet Hummingbird Feeder

It includes two hummingbird feeders. The wide-mouth bottle allows for easy filling and cleaning

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Fun Fact

Hummingbirds typically beat their wings 20-30 times a second!

11. Downy Woodpecker

Downy woodpeckers are the smallest and the most common woodpeckers in America. They have black and white plumage and are a common sight in almost every backyard in the U.S.

Their average height ranges from 5.5 to 6.6 inches (14-17 cm), with an average weight of 21 to 28 grams and a wingspan of 10 to 12 inches (25-30 cm).

Downy Woodpeckers love open evergreen woods, but they may be found in a different range of settings, including parks and backyards.

12. Dark-Eyed Junco

The dark-eyed junco is a medium-sized gray-colored bird with a round flat head, a short bill, and a long tail. Its length averages from 5.5-6.3 inches (14-16 cm), weighing about 18-30 grams with a wingspan of 7.1-9.8 inches (18-25 cm).

They are energetic birds that like to bounce about the feet of trees and bushes in woods and out into lawns, searching for seeds and insects to feed on. They breed in dense coniferous forests across Canada and the western U.S.

If you want one to visit your backyard, keep your feeders filled with seeds.

13. Bewick’s Wren

Bewick’s Wren is a chubby bird with brown plumage, white eyebrows, a long sharp beak, and an upright tail. Their average length is 5.1 inches (13 cm) and weighs roughly about 8 to 12 grams with a wingspan of 7 inches (18 cm).

These birds are spread across the U.S. and are year-round residents in the western part of the U.S found abundantly in Texas, the Gulf Coast, and northern Florida.

If you live close to chaparral-covered hills, woodlands, oak trees, mixed forests, and desert scrubs, you might come across them in your backyard. Make sure you install suitable feeders to make your backyard more inviting to them.

14. Ruby-Crowned Kinglet

Generally, kinglets are gray with red and yellow colored crowns with streaks of yellow running down their wings. Their average length ranges from 3.5- 4.3 inches (9-11 cm) in length with a weight of 5-10 grams, having a wingspan of 6-7 inches (16-18 cm).

They are found in forests, dense shrubbery, and urban habitats like central parks and backyards. In the U.S, look for these birds during winters or when they are migrating, they are pretty familiar across the states.

During summertime, they are found abundantly in the North and Western regions of America.

Fun Fact

These birds lay about 12 eggs in a massive cluster in a nest, and it weighs the same as an adult female kinglet.

15. Yellow-Rumped Warbler

If you ever come across a gray-colored bird with a pop of yellow on its crown and either side of its wings, the chances are that you’ve just come across a yellow-rumped warbler.

These birds are aggressive, often seen fluttering straight out of a tree to catch their prey.

Contradicting their aggressive behavior is their size which averages up to only 4.7 to 5.5 inches in length, weighing about 12 grams with a wingspan of 7.5 to 9 inches. They abundantly inhabit North America and are found in all the states of the U.S.

If you’re living in the U.S and want this bird to visit your backyard, then you must keep an eye out because it might show up at your feeder on a lucky day!

16. Carolina Chickadee

Carolina chickadee looks a lot like a black-capped chickadee, except this one has gray wings and back, black color running down its chin forming a bib, and has white under feathers and cheeks.

This bird is 3.9-4.7 inches in length, weighing about 10 grams, having a wingspan of 6-8 inches (15-20 cm).

This bird is well-known across the states as it typically nests in all the states across the U.S. They inhabit mature forests, woodlands, swamp forests, drier forests, and residential urban areas.

Carolina chickadees love to visit all birdfeeders near wooded areas. If you’re living near an area in which they heavily reside, don’t hold back. Install appropriate bird feeders as soon as you can and invite these birds over to your backyard.

Fun Fact

Carolina chickadee is one of the relatively few songbirds in the state that is entirely non-migratory.

17. Brown-Headed Nuthatch

It’s a tiny round bird with a round compact body, a brown-colored head, and light gray under-feathers. Their average length is about 4 ½ inches (8 to 10 cm), weighing up to 10 grams, with a wingspan of 6 to 7 inches (15 to 18 cm).

They are non-migratory birds and are found year-round in the southeastern U.S, covering Florida, Arkansas, Texas, and the Bahamas. They love pines and reside in areas where there are mature forests and trees.

Did You Know?

Nuthatches are the only species of bird that can walk up and down a tree with ease! Isn’t that something?

18. American Bushtit

The American bushtit is a plain-looking bird that is one of the smallest passerines in North America. They’re sprightly and have a gregarious, perky behavior.

The bird weighs roughly about 5.6 grams, with its size averaging 4 to 4.5 inches (10 to 11 cm) having a wingspan of 6 to 7 inches (15 to 17 cm).

Bushtit is found on the western coast of North America. These birds prefer drier areas and open woodlands, tree-lined riverbanks, hillside groves, bushes, and mountain forests. They are a delight to have in your backyard.

Keep Reading!

This post talked about all the small winged birds you may come across in your backyard. Some may include Bee Hummingbird, Red-Cheeked Cordon Bleu, Bananaquit, Verdin, Spotted Pardalote, and many other birds.

There are many gorgeous bird species on the planet, and appreciating these beautiful beings is worth one’s time. However, if you want to find out more about birds, especially those who have short legs, then read this post.

9 Astonishing Birds with Short Legs That You’ll Love!

You will be amazed to read about birds that have short legs. Continue reading to add to your knowledge about these fascinating birds.

Posted in: Backyard Birds