Let’s give it up for the little guys.
Much of birding is straining your eyes through your binoculars or spotting scope to get an eye on a tiny bird bouncing around the trees or bushes, hoping to get a look at a single identifying marker to let you know which species it is.
So without further adieu, here are 22 small birds to look for in Arkansas, though we could have easily included 22 more, especially if we had included birds that winter in Arkansas but don’t breed there, which would have opened up the list to tiny birds like the ruby-crowned and golden-crowned kinglet, brown creeper and red-breasted nuthatch, among others.
Unless otherwise stated, all measurements are courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s All About Birds, which provides a wealth of information about each of these birds and all other North American species.
Key Takeaways
- Diverse bird populations: Arkansas is a haven for birdwatchers with over 400 species, which is helped by the presence of many small birds like the ruby-throated hummingbird and blue-gray gnatcatcher, to name just two. Efforts from conservation groups have helped manage these populations, highlighting the successes of targeted wildlife conservation.
- Identification techniques: Birdwatching in Arkansas, especially when spotting tiny birds of only a few inches long, often depends on spotting distinctive features and behaviors, from the unique flight patterns of the chimney swift to the vibrant yellow colors of various warblers. Learning to pick out small details can make your birding experience all the more fun.
- Environmental challenges: Many of Arkansas’s small birds, like its sparrows and other prairie-loving birds, face threats from habitat loss and environmental changes, affecting their population numbers. These situations illustrate the critical need for ongoing conservation efforts and habitat protection to ensure these species’ survival well into the future.
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird
The smallest bird in Arkansas is the ruby-throated hummingbird, the eastern United States’ only breeding hummer, which measures 3.5 inches long or less and between a tenth and a fifth of an ounce.
Ruby-throated hummingbirds breed in Arkansas, returning to much fanfare from birders each spring to visit hummingbird feeders and gardens.
Other hummingbirds — the rufous hummingbird, for example — have been spotted in Arkansas occasionally, but if you see a hummingbird, it’s almost surely a ruby-throated hummingbird.
Chimney Swift
Speaking of the only bird of its type to regularly breed in the eastern United States, we have the chimney swift, the East’s only swift.
Nicknamed “the flying cigar” for its stocky body, the chimney swift measures 4.7 to 5.9 inches and weighs up to about an ounce. They’re dull-ish brown with small bills and long wings.
True to their names, they do nest in chimneys, as well as other tight spaces. This can include natural spaces like hollow trees or human-made areas like barns, for example.
They can be confused with other birds like swallows or other swifts where ranges overlap, but they could also very easily be confused for bats, given their propensity for nesting in caves, chimneys, or barns.
The Wisconsin Chimney Swift working group offers the following differences to help you tell the difference:
- Chimney swifts will often fly higher in the air with stiff wingbeats, while bats will venture lower to the ground in a “fluttery, sometimes erratic flight.”
- Bats are more active about half an hour after sunset, right after they emerge for the evening, while chimney swifts are typically heading for their roosts around sunset after feeding throughout the day.
- Bats may make clicking sounds, while chimney swifts have a “twittering” sound. Listen below.
Chimney swifts are facing serious conservation threats, including a loss of food sources (insects) and habitat. Since 1970, an estimated 67% of the population has been lost with the potential for losing 50% of the current population in the next 27 years, according to Partners in Flight.
Tree Swallow
The sleek blue and white tree swallow measures in very similarly to the chimney swift, and it’s a common bird from Alaska down to the start of the Southeast.
Sightings are more common in northern Arkansas than southern Arkansas, and they can be spotted in areas like public parks or wildlife areas that have nest boxes in open spaces.
It’s one of several swallows that may grace Arkansas skies at some point in the year. Bank swallows are mostly winter visitors, cliff swallows breed in the northern part of the state and the northern rough-winged swallow is an Arkansas breeder, as is the barn swallow, a common species near human residences and other buildings.
Speaking of which…
Barn Swallow
Barn swallows are famous for their little mud nests they build under door frames, on top of building supports, or just about anywhere else they can find to stick a nest.
Before human development, these nests would have been built along cliff walls or in caves, for example, but they’ve been resourceful enough to take over developed areas, though that hasn’t kept their population from falling about 38 percent between 1970 and 2016, according to Partners in Flight.
They’re still fairly common in many places, where their pointed wings, forked tail, and orange underside set them apart from tree swallows.
Cliff swallows have a similar rusty color to that of the barn swallow but with a white forehead patch to set them apart.
Barn swallows measure between 5.9 and 7.5 inches long and weigh between 0.6 and 0.7 ounces.
Downy Woodpecker
Downy woodpeckers can be even smaller than barn swallows, with a length of 5.5 to 6.7 inches. While they’re not the smallest birds on our list, their diminutive figure is a surprise to see for a woodpecker.
They have black and white backs and an all-white underside. If you see almost the same bird but too big to fit on a list of “small birds in Arkansas,” you may be seeing a hairy woodpecker, patterned very similarly but measuring 7.1 to 10.2 inches long and weighing double or more.
Downy woodpeckers are common in city parks and backyards year-round in much of North America, including all of Arkansas.
Eastern Bluebird
Eastern bluebirds are enough to bring joy to any birder walking through an open field dotted with nesting boxes, and the fact that their population has increased in recent decades is a testament to the work of North American conservation groups.
Facing declining populations in no small part due to nesting competition from non-native cavity-nesting birds like the house sparrow and European starling, numerous groups have taken the initiative to build nesting boxes and improve habitat for bluebirds, and it’s paid off. The population has recovered to an estimated 23 million, according to Partners in Flight.
It’s the most widespread of North America’s three bluebird species but only just, with the mountain bluebird and western bluebird occupying the western half of the continent.
They measure 6.3 to 8.3 inches and weigh about an ounce — not the smallest bird on our list, by any means, but in the grand scheme of things, it still weighs less than an ounce. We’ll consider that small.
Carolina Chickadee
Arkansas hosts Carolina chickadees year-round. These year-round residents of the Southeast look extremely similar to the north’s black-capped chickadee. According to All About Birds, the two species probably diverged over 2.5 million years ago, but their appearances haven’t changed much since then.
They may still hybridize in places where their ranges overlap, such as in parts of Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, and the Smoky Mountains. There is not a lot of ground where the two non-migrating birds overlap and their ranges don’t overlap in Arkansas, but if you’re in a nearby state, good luck with identification. Listening to differences in their songs might be the best way to tell the difference between these two tiny birds.
Take a listen to the two, starting with the southeastern Carolina chickadee:
Then, the black-capped chickadee:
Tufted Titmouse
Continuing with another common eastern backyard bird, we have the tufted titmouse, a frequent sighting in parks, along hiking trails, and in suburban areas.
The tufted titmouse is best identified by its signature gray crested head, also displaying a light underside and orange patch under the wing.
They’re closely related to chickadees, and like chickadees and bluebirds, they nest in cavities. But they have tiny little bills that don’t allow them to create their own nesting cavities, so they’ll rely on woodpeckers —or sympathetic backyard birders like you — to give them nesting space. Building a nest box and putting it in your yard is one way you can help allow yourself to see and hear these little backyard favorites.
They weigh less than an ounce and measure between 5.5 and 6.3 inches.
Carolina Wren
The southeastern United States’ most recognizable wren measures between 4.7 and 5.5 inches and weighs 0.6 to 0.8 ounces, but like many birds, its small physical stature says nothing about its weighty calls and song.
Wrens like the Carolina wren are often seen with the tail pointing vertically, and wrens generally have strong singing voices, but a bold white eyebrow stripe and notably tan underside should help you identify a Carolina wren if you can get a good look at it.
Carolina wrens don’t migrate throughout their range, which stretches from eastern Mexico up to the southern Great Lakes and east to the Atlantic Ocean.
Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher
The blue-gray gnatcatcher is a subtly appealing bird. It may not have the bright blue coloration of an indigo bunting or eastern bluebird, for example, but its understated blue shades are not to be missed.
In breeding plumage, males, which have a little bit more noticeable blues than females, have a dark, downward-sloping eyebrow mark that makes them look a bit grumpy, or at least skeptical of something, at all times.
Despite their long tails and a fairly long bill, the blue-gray gnatcatcher measures just 3.9 to 4.3 inches and weighs less than a third of an ounce.
In their eastern range, gnatcatchers (which eat insects but without a majority being gnats) take up residence in forests, which makes them tough to find. Head west and you might have an easier time picking them out in open shrublands with some tree cover.
White-Eyed Vireo
Tipping the scales at 0.3 to 0.5 ounces and measuring 4.3 to 5.1 inches, the white-eyed vireo is a tough bird to spot despite its bright yellow belly and face colors.
As its name alludes to, it has piercing white eyes, unlike most birds’ dark eyes. Given that the birds’ eyes are just millimeters in size, it’s an identifier that won’t help you unless you have a strong set of binoculars or can get a good photo of one on a telephoto lens.
Warbling Vireo
The warbling vireo and its bubbly song spans most of the United States, except for the Southeast, and expands up into northwestern Canada.
These strong singers measure between 4.7 and 5.1 inches and weigh up to 0.6 ounces, with understated yellow-green sides and a pale face with white and gray markings.
Look and listen for them in areas with good tree cover, though you don’t have to go deep into the forests to find them, at times. Many eBird sightings throughout the years have come from populated areas in and around Little Rock, for example.
Louisiana Waterthrush
The Louisiana waterthrush is not a thrush, but rather a warbler, measuring 5.9 to 6.1 inches and weighing less than an ounce.
Look for waterthrushes along streamsides, where their characteristic movements are on display. According to All About Birds, their species name, motacilla, means tail-wagger. While they’re not part of the wagtail genus, they certainly do wag their tails as they walk by dropping their back ends down with a bend at the ankle of their long legs.
They have thrush-like markings befitting of the name, with their patterned undersides reminiscent of many native thrushes, as well as the ovenbird, a warbler, and the northern waterthrush, a nearly identical bird to the Louisiana waterthrush.
It’s possible to see a northern waterthrush in Arkansas as they pass through from northern breeding grounds down to Central America and South America.
The northern waterthrush has more streaking on its throat area with a slightly thinner eyebrow line than the Louisiana waterthrush, but it’s a difficult ID if you happen to catch a northern waterthrush on its movement during the spring or fall.
Blue-Winged Warbler
Many eBird sightings of blue-winged warblers come in from just north into the Missouri border in Mark Twain National Forest, but Ozark-St. Francis National Forest in the northwestern corner of Arkansas also receives its fair share of sightings when these warblers return to the area for the season.
Blue-winged warblers’ wings aren’t a true blue color like you might get from a blue jay or bluebird, but rather a light blue-gray that may just look gray. The undersides and heads of these birds measuring between 4.3 and 4.7 inches are golden yellow, with slight differences between the sexes.
Females may be a little less golden, especially near the crown, which can be more of an olive-greenish-yellowish color.
Black-And-White Warbler
Black-and-white warblers are among the most unique of warblers. The only member of the genus Mniotilta, which means moss-plucking (via All About Birds), they lack the coloring of many other warblers with a signature black and white coloration and they are typically one of the first warblers to arrive in the spring.
Seen bouncing around tree branches like most North American warblers typically are, they build their nests on the ground.
And as with many warblers, listening for them when they first return for the season is a top way to know where to train your eyes hoping for a sighting. Take a listen to the high-pitched song of the black-and-white warbler.
Measuring between 4.3 and 5.1 inches and weighing half an ounce or less, they breed across Arkansas.
Prothonotary Warbler
Another statewide breeding warbler is the prothonotary warbler, a bright yellow bird that’s most common in the U.S. Southeast, where it can be found in swamps, nesting in the holes of trees or available nesting boxes.
The word prothonotary refers to a clerk in a court — who apparently wore robes resembling that of the bright yellow warbler — not their importance in one big 1948 court case.
University of Missouri-Kansas City Professor Douglas O. Linder describes this bright yellow bird as “the warbler that made two presidents,” as a prothonotary warbler sighting along the Potomac River was used to establish a relationship between government official Alger Hiss and former Soviet spy Whittaker Chambers based on a question from Richard Nixon.
But that’s as far as we’ll go into that history lesson. If it piqued your interest, you can read more from Linder and other sources on the subject.
In the field, look for a golden yellow bird with a gray back, though females have a slightly duller head and underbelly. They’re not the smallest of all warblers, measuring up to 5.5 inches long, according to the National Audubon Society.
Common Yellowthroat
One of the most commonly seen warblers across North America, with a range that stretches from the tip of Florida up to southeastern Alaska, the common yellowthroat is a breeding resident of Arkansas, where you may have seen one in marshy areas, bouncing quickly through low-growing vegetation.
It’s not just the throat that’s yellow on this little bird that measures 4.3 to 5.1 inches and weighs about a third of an ounce. The male has a black eye mask bordered on one side by a dull white line and on the other side by a bright yellow patch that continues down through the chest.
The female lacks a black eye bask and the following white stripe, but its yellow throat patch also continues down onto its underside.
Hooded Warbler
Another breeding Arkansas warbler with striking yellow plumage, the hooded warbler female lacks the male’s bold black hood that surrounds a yellow eye mask on both sides before returning to yellow as it travels down the bird’s underside.
Females may have a partial hood that lacks the bottom half or retains the shape but just lacks some of its boldness. Young females may completely lack the dark hood.
Hooded warblers aren’t likely to visit your backyard bird feeders, but if you happen to find one nesting in your area, there’s a good chance it’ll keep coming back year after year. According to one seven-year study in Pennsylvania, about half of banded males returned to breed in the same area, All About Birds states.
Northern Parula
Although we’re not sure how you could ever tire of warblers, this will be the last warbler on our list, though Arkansas may host other breeders like Swainson’s warbler or several species as brief migratory visitors.
The northern parula has a yellow and brown underside with a blue-gray top side that’s interrupted by a yellowish patch on the nape. Males have a little more brown color near the chest as well.
Parulas are typically spotted in areas where they can find the mosses required for nesting, like Spanish moss.
Parula is derived from parus, meaning little titmouse, according to All About Birds, though other naturalists throughout history have also called it a “finch creeper” or ”blue yellow-backed warbler.”
The parula weighs between a fifth and two-fifths of an ounce and measures 4.3 to 4.7 inches.
American Goldfinch
We said it would be the last warbler, not the last small yellow bird, so next we have the American goldfinch, a common bird in parks and backyards throughout the year in many places, including Arkansas.
If you want to attract American goldfinches to your yard, there’s a tried and true method to doing so, and that’s providing Nyjer/thistle seed, either alone or in a mixture with sunflower chips.
Finches love it, and typically won’t be super popular with some other undesirable birds like cowbirds or house sparrows, although any other seeds mixed in with thistle could bring in other birds.
Both males and females are yellow, but each spring, males gain a slightly brighter yellow plumage before fading again into the fall into an olive green plumage.
They stretch the tape to about 4.3 to 5.1 inches and 0.4 to 0.7 ounces.
Field Sparrow
The small field sparrow is a long-tailed bird with a familiar song often compared to a bouncing ball. The notes get shorter and more condensed as it moves toward its conclusion, like a basketball dropped on the pavement, bouncing lower and lower.
Field sparrows rely on open grasslands and fields to breed, so their populations have dropped noticeably in recent decades, but they’re still fairly familiar birds if you get out for frequent walks through open grassy areas.
They measure up to six inches long, though that’s helped by a long tail. They have small pink bills and are overall a pleasant brown color, including an orangeish-brown crown and eyeline.
Grasshopper Sparrow
Another sparrow whose population is in serious decline is the grasshopper sparrow, with a population that’s tanked 68% since 1970, according to Partners in Flight, with habitat loss and degradation among its biggest problems.
The decreases in grasshopper sparrows and other prairie birds should underscore the importance of large habitat tracts offering ample native prairie plants to save bird populations.
The grasshopper sparrow both feeds on insects — though not exclusively grasshoppers — and lets out an insect-like buzzing sound following a series of other notes:
Look for a stubby-tailed, thick-necked sparrow with some yellow color around the eyes.
In Conclusion
There are over 400 species of birds in Arkansas, according to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas, so in your birdwatching journey, you are certain to find more small birds that weren’t included on this brief list.
To explore more of the state’s avian variety, visit Wild Bird Scoop’s state page, which has lists of the state’s various owls, falcons, woodpeckers, and more.