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Arizona is one of the best states for birding. It’s in the top five states for most bird species, at 564, according to eBird. Some of them are huge like North America’s biggest bird, the California Condor, but others will require you to get out your binoculars. Here are 15 small birds in the Grand Canyon State.

All measurements are courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s All About Birds, a great resource to learn more about each of these birds, from identification tips to fun facts and more.

Key Takeaways

• Hummingbird Haven: Arizona boasts a wide diversity of bird species, including an impressive array of hummingbirds, due to its warm weather and ideal location for species migrating through on their way to and from wintering grounds in Central and South America. Among them are Anna’s hummingbird, the black-chinned hummingbird, and the state’s smallest bird, the calliope hummingbird.
• Small Birds Galore: Species like the mountain chickadee, with its distinctive white eyebrow stripe, the social pygmy nuthatch known for nesting in groups, and other beautiful birds like the blue-gray gnatcatcher are just a few of over 500 bird species in the Grand Canyon State.
• Birding Opportunities: Bird enthusiasts will love exploring the array of bird species in Arizona, as the state offers a rich avian landscape in its deserts, evergreen forests, and other wild lands.

Anna’s Hummingbird

It only makes sense to start with a hummingbird as Arizona is well-positioned to be one of the states with the most hummingbird diversity.

Most hummingbirds are native to Central America and South America, but for Americans wanting to see these tiny birds, Arizona is a prime spot.

Anna’s hummingbird is one of the most common western hummingbirds, and its range – year-round in much of Arizona – is only growing.

They measure just under four inches and between three and six grams.

Males have a bright pink head and throat patch, called a gorget. Females lack the flair for the dramatics, with mostly metallic green plumage.

Black-Chinned Hummingbird

Most of Arizona is also within the breeding range of the black-chinned hummingbird, one of the West’s signature species. They’re a staple perched atop bare branches of desert trees, so if you hear this sound, look up:

If you’re lucky enough to look up and spot this little hummer, which measures in at 3.5 inches and between 2.3 and 4.9 grams, you won’t see the flashiest hummingbird in all the world.

Males have a sometimes visible purple patch on an otherwise black head and throat, with a dull, almost dirty-looking color through the chest and belly. Like other hummingbird species, females lack the gorget of the males, with fairly dull green backs and pale undersides.

Calliope Hummingbird

We promise we won’t include every hummingbird here, as over a dozen different hummingbirds can be seen in Arizona at some point of the year, but it’s worth mentioning the calliope hummingbird, Arizona’s smallest bird, that is glimpsed briefly each year.

Calliope hummingbirds migrate twice each year to head south for Central America and come north to summer breeding grounds in Utah, Nevada, Idaho, and other western states, with Arizona squarely in their migration route.

Calliope hummingbirds stretch the tape measure to just 3.1 to 3.5 inches on average and weigh between 2.3 and 3.4 grams.

Males have colorful pink strands of plumage that flow from the bill down to the chest. Both males and females have metallic green backs.

Other hummingbirds that spend at least part of the year in some parts of Arizona include the blue-throated mountain-gem, Lucifer hummingbird, Costa’s hummingbird, Calliope hummingbird, rufous hummingbird, Allen’s hummingbird, broad-tailed hummingbird, broad-billed hummingbird, violet-crowned hummingbird, and Rivoli’s hummingbird.

Mountain Chickadee

The most widespread chickadee, the black-capped chickadee, is one of North America’s most common birds, but that’s not the case in Arizona, where the mountain chickadee is the state’s primary year-round chickadee.

They look similar to black-capped chickadees, except with an extra white stripe near the eyebrow that breaks up what would otherwise be a black cap.

They frequent western coniferous forests from the Yukon province down to Arizona and New Mexico, where they can be seen bouncing from tree to tree in search of insects.

They weigh about two-fifths of an ounce (11 grams) and measure 4.3 to 5.5 inches.

Mexican chickadees may also be spotted occasionally in Chiricahua National Monument and the surrounding area of southeastern Arizona.

Pygmy Nuthatch

Arizona is a year-round home for three of North America’s nuthatches, including the red-breasted and white-breasted varieties, but for this list, we’ll feature the one with “pygmy” right in its name.

Measuring nine to 11 grams and 3.5 to 4.3 inches, the pygmy nuthatch is a small bird with a cream-colored underside, gray back, and brown cap from the name, under the eye to the bill.

They’re most commonly seen in Arizona’s pine forests, and if you see one, chances are good you could see another as they’re very social birds.

They’re one of only a few species where they help other members of their species raise their young, and they nest in groups. No records exist of a pygmy nuthatch roosting alone, and as many as 100 of these fascinating birds have been recorded in a single hole, according to All About Birds.

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher

This is one of my personal favorite birds, as the male blue-gray gnatcatcher’s subdued blue hues are a sight to behold.

This quick-moving, long-tailed bird measures between five and nine grams and stretches the tape to just 3.9 to 4.3 inches.

Males have appealing patterns and a V-shape just above the eyes in the summer months that gives them an inquisitive, unimpressed look. In non-breeding colors, males look like females, with duller colors.

For many North Americans, the blue-gray gnatcatcher is the only gnatcatcher that makes it far enough north to be regularly spotted, but parts of Arizona are home to the black-tailed gnatcatcher, another long-tailed insect-eater.

They measure slightly longer at 4.3 to 5.1 inches, but weigh less on average, at 5.1 to six grams.

House Wren

While the cactus wren is Arizona’s state bird, it’s significantly larger than the wren we’ll feature here, the most widespread wren in North America.

The house wren measures 4.3 to 5.1 inches and weighs 10 to 12 grams, while the cactus wren doesn’t quite feel “small” at upwards of seven inches and up to 47 grams.

The house wren’s appearance and its song are on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to flair. Both males and females are a drab brown, but house wrens sing a boisterous song. Take a listen:

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Look for them in a variety of habitats, including suburban habitats like parks and backyards.

Song Sparrow

We won’t run through all of the 20-plus sparrows in Arizona, but we’ll feature some of the state’s most common native sparrows, like the song sparrow, a commonly heard and seen bird of the state’s streamside and “low, dense brushy areas in the Sonoran Desert region,” according to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.

These streaky birds have 24 different subspecies in 52 forms, making them one of the “most regionally variable birds” in North America, according to All About Birds.

If you’re most familiar with song sparrows of the north or the coasts, you may be surprised to see a lighter-colored song sparrow in your travels to Arizona.

Song sparrows range from 12 to 53 grams and 4.7 to 6.7 ounces.

Chipping Sparrow

Most of Arizona is within the chipping sparrow’s breeding range. Slightly smaller on average than a song sparrow at between 4.7 and 5.9 inches and 11 to 16 grams, the chipping sparrow is a familiar bird for its rufous red cap and crisp black eyeline from the bill to the back of the head. Their undersides are an unstreaked gray color.

They can be found in parks, backyards, and areas that mix tree cover with open space.

Lesser Goldfinch

American goldfinches, a widespread North American bird from coast to coast, may winter in Arizona and are small at 4.3 to 5.1 inches and 11 to 20 grams, but they’re still bigger than Arizona’s year-round resident goldfinch.

Lesser goldfinches weigh between eight and 11.5 grams and measure just 3.5 to 4.3 inches.

Females look similar to female American goldfinches in dull plumage, except with less white on the underside of the tail. Males, meanwhile, offer more to differentiate them, with a black backside and standout yellow underside.

One good place to look for lesser goldfinches in dry states like Arizona and Utah is in open areas near streams or rivers.

House Finch

House finches, originally native to the American Southwest, were introduced in the east in 1940 by New York pet shop owners who had been illegally selling them, according to the National Audubon Society.

Not only did those finches survive in the wild, they have thrived across much of the United States.

The similarly-patterned purple finch may winter in relatively low numbers in southern Arizona, but you can usually tell the difference between the species by the house finch’s brown side streaks and the purple finch’s richer coloring.

House finches tip the scale at 16 to 27 grams and measure 5.1 to 5.5 inches long.

Verdin

Many a hike through Arizona has turned up a verdin, and their simple song often provides hikers with a natural soundtrack as it flows through the desert air.

These desert birds have dull gray bodies with some color on the wing, but a yellow head is a standout attribute for this five- to eight-gram, 3.5-4.3 inch bird.

It’s the only bird in its genus Auriparus, a member of the old-world family Remizidae.

According to All About Birds, these birds nest all year. In Arizona, one pair made 11 nests in a year.

Cliff Swallow

One of six swallows that spend at least part of the year in the Grand Canyon State, cliff swallows measure about five inches long and weigh between 0.7 and 1.2 ounces.

The cliff swallow’s blocky tail and broad wings frame a blue body separated from a bronze and blue head by a light-colored collar.

Cliff swallows build mud nests on the sides of sheer cliff walls, poking a pale forehead out before leaving in search of insects. Usually, they nest in groups.

Other Arizona swallows include the bank swallow, tree swallow, northern rough-winged swallow, barn swallow, and the violet-green swallow.

Violet-Green Swallow

The western violet-green swallow’s crisp coloring makes it one of the American West’s most striking birds.

Males have bright white undersides continuing up to the throat and cheek, with the top of the back and head an appealing green that borders some blue and purple iridescence near the back and along the wings.

They measure just 14 grams and 4.7 inches on average.

Like most swallows, these birds are typically seen in motion, and they’re quick. According to All About Birds, they’ve been recorded flying at 28 miles per hour.

Downy Woodpecker

The biggest bird on our list, the downy woodpecker, is still quite small in terms of woodpeckers at only 5.5 to 6.7 inches and 21 to 28 grams. Contrast that, for example, with the nearly identical hairy woodpecker, a bird that can reach more than 10 inches long and weigh almost 100 grams.

White underneath and a mix of black and white above, you can tell a downy woodpecker from a hairy woodpecker not just by its size but by its small bill.

If you have a bird feeder within the downy woodpecker’s range in northern Arizona, this is one of the more likely woodpeckers to stop by, though hairy woodpeckers are also known to visit feeders.

In Conclusion

With over 500 species of birds in Arizona, this is surely not an all-encompassing list of every small bird in Arizona, nor does it include each of the smallest birds in the state. Rather, it’s a sampling of some unique small birds you may find in this beautiful desert state.

Arizona is full of interesting birds, so there’s always more to explore, and Wild Bird Scoop has you covered.

For more insight into the birds in your state, visit wildbirdscoop.com, where we’ve got lists of Arizona’s falcons, finches, wrens, sparrows, ducks, blackbirds, hummingbirds, owls, woodpeckers and hawks.

Happy birding!

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