Where to find the smallest bird in the world
The smallest bird in the world is the Bee Hummingbird (called Colibri Zunzuncito in Spanish). This tiny bird weighs from 1.6 to 2 grams. That is less than the weight of two paper clips. It isn’t easy to imagine a living bird that weighs so little. I had studied the facts about the world’s smallest bird before I went looking for them. Although I knew what to expect, I was shocked when I saw it for the first time. It is not much larger than an insect and could easily be mistaken for one while in flight.
Description
The Bee Hummingbird is bluish-grey on the back and grey on the front. During the breeding season, the head and throat of the male turn a beautiful iridescent pink. When not in breeding plumage, the males and females look alike except for the tip of their tail, which is black on males and white on females. The breeding season is from March to June. Their eggs are the size of a pea.
Diet
Like all hummingbirds, the Bee Hummingbird lives mostly on nectar. They visit up to 1,500 flowers daily to consume eight times their body weight because of their high metabolism. They don’t remain still for very long except at night. Hummingbirds also eat tiny insects such as baby spiders, fruit flies and other small insects.
Where to find the Smallest Bird in the World
The Bee Hummingbird is endemic to the island of Cuba. If you do an internet search, most maps will show the Bee Hummingbird as being found all over Cuba, but this is incorrect. They can be seen only in a few places on the island.
It can be found at the eastern and western tips of the island, the nearby Isla de Pinos (Island of Pineapples), The Zapata Peninsula and a couple of other mountain places (Sierra de Anafe, Jucaro, Cuchillas del Toa and Sierra Cristal). Their habitat is dense forest, but they can sometimes be found at the edge of the forest if there are plenty of large bushes.
The Bee Hummingbird was formerly common all over Cuba but is now rare primarily due to habitat loss. Most of its former range has been converted to agricultural use. I saw the Bee Hummingbird in the Zapata Peninsula, where they are most common. It is unlikely that you will be able to find one by yourself, so you will need a guide. Bird guides are inexpensive in Cuba (about $15 for half a day), but this does not include a vehicle. If you do not have a car, you must pay extra for the guide to provide one, adding another $30 to your cost. (See the guides page).
Photography
Photographing the world’s smallest bird can be tricky. If you have ever tried photographing a bumblebee, you will know what to expect. Photographing bees is more straightforward as you can get closer to them, and they don’t move as fast as hummingbirds.
You will need a camera with at least a 400mm lens, and unless you are very good at hand-holding it, you will need a tripod. Set the focus point to one. The bird is so tiny that more focus points will focus on the bushes or background instead of the bird. Add extra light if photographing against a sky background. After locating one and admiring it for a minute, your best bet to photograph the Bee Hummingbird is to be ready to photograph it when it returns (they usually fly away and then return to the exact location several times). (photographs on this page are by Glenn Bartley, whose photos of the Bee Hummingbird are so much better than mine).
Summary
Finding the smallest bird in the world was a real thrill for me, like walking with penguins on an island off the coast of New Zealand or photographing the Pygmy Kingfisher in Guatemala. If you are a birder and have not seen the Bee Hummingbird, you must plan a trip to Cuba.
For information on planning a trip to Cuba click here..