Vervain Hummingbird
| Mellisuga minima | Order: Apodiformes | Family: Trochilidae (Hummingbirds) |
I’ve never seen this bird found in Jamaica and Hispaniola, but it has two entries in the Guinness Book of World Records:
Vervain Hummingbird: Smallest bird egg. The smallest egg laid by any bird is that of the vervain hummingbird (Mellisuga minima) of Jamaica and two nearby islets. Two specimens measuring less than 10 mm (0.39 in) in length weighed 0.365 g (0.0128 oz) and 0.375 g (0.0132 oz).
An egg laid on 5 Oct 1998 by a ‘posture canary’ of the German Crested variety owned by M.J. de Rijck of Heijen, The Netherlands, measured 7 mm (0.275 in) in length, 5.25 mm (0.2 in) in diameter and weighed 0.027 g (0.0009 oz). Eggs emitted from the oviduct before maturity, known as ‘sports’, are not considered to be of significance.
and:
Vervain Hummingbird, Bee Hummingbird: Smallest bird nest. The smallest nests are built by hummingbirds. That of the vervain hummingbird (Mellisuga minima) is about half the size of a walnut shell, while the deeper but narrower one of the bee hummingbird (M. helenae) is thimble-sized.