White-breasted Nuthatch (Left) - Mourning Dove (Right)
Sometimes we don't get a feel for a bird's size when we see them pictured solo. When you see Napoleon (White-breasted Nuthatch) pictured with a Mourning Dove (above), Napoleon's small size is striking. Napoleon's smaller cousin, the Brown-headed Nuthatch, is resident in Georgia year-round, but I rarely see him except in winter. He is pictured side-by-side with Napoleon, below. If you hear what sounds like a dog's squeaky toy high up in the trees -- it's probably the Brown-headed.
Brown-headed Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Smaller-still is the Ruby-crowned Kinglet. He's about the size of Georgia's Ruby-throated Hummingbird when they are at their heaviest just before heading south in the fall. The Kinglets are only here for the winter -- darting around from suet-feeder to suet-feeder. I remember when I first met the Kinglet. He was in the tree nearest the feeder -- giving me major grief for getting in the way of his meal. When he came at me, I knew we hadn't met before -- me and this Chihuahua of the bird kingdom.
The male Kinglet's red head feathers are shown in the picture (right). If excited, he will actually raise these feathers into a "crown" -- a picture I may get one day. The last two pictures show a size comparison between a Carolina Chickadee and the Kinglet.
Carolina Chickadee
Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
Summing it all up:
Length, In | Weight, Oz | |
Ruby-throated Hummingbird | 3-3.75 | 0.1 - 0.2 |
Ruby-crowned Kinglet | 4.25 | 0.2 |
Brown-headed Nuthatch | 4-5 | 0.4 |
Carolina Chickadee | 4-5 | 0.4 |
White-breasted Nuthatch | 5-6 | 0.7 |
Carolina Wren | 5-6 | 0.7 |
Mourning Dove | 12 | 4-6 |