Weights in grams, pounds, or ounces, and no mention of the more frequent backyard or local birds seen in the US.
If the average weight of the thirteen most frequent birds in the United States were used, the weight of a backyard bird would be between 37 and 54 grams, while the weight of the heaviest birds would be between 140 and 180 grams. There are observable differences in adult bird weight between the sexes, but these findings are unreliable due to a lack of data from mature birds.
You are reading: How Much Does A Bird Weigh
I hope you’ll understand why I didn’t include every species of bird in my weight table; there are as many as 1107 in existence right now in the United States alone.
Instead, I’ve zeroed in on the most frequent birds in the United States, with a particular focus on the thirteen most common backyard birds because this is something we can all identify to.
Most members of the hummingbird family, along with other small songbirds like warblers, wrens, and finches like the American goldfinch, fall into this category.
Woodpecker weights are too varied to be summarized in a single table, although in general, with the exception of the Downy and Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, most are among the heavier bird species.
The Pileated Woodpecker and the Northern Flicker are the two heaviest species.
Due to a lack of reliable scientific data and the difficulty of accurately identifying weight in captive adult birds, my research was unable to reveal any changes in body mass between the sexes.
To keep you occupied, I’ve converted the weight of up to sixty-seven birds in my table from grams, pounds, and ounces.
Bird weight table
| Species: | Grams: | Pounds: | Ounces: |
| Altamira Oriole | 47 – 64 | 0.10 – 0.41 | 1.6 – 2.2 |
| American Goldfinch | 11 – 20 | 0.02 – 0.04 | 0.3 – 0.7 |
| American Robin | 72 – 94 | 0.15 – 0.20 | 2.5 – 3.3 |
| American Tree Sparrow | 18 – 26 | 0.03 – 0.05 | 0.6 – 0.9 |
| Anna’s Hummingbird | 3 – 6 | 0.006 – 0.01 | 0.1 – 0.2 |
| Ash-Throated Flycatcher | 20 – 37 | 0.04 – 0.08 | 0.7 – 1.3 |
| Baltimore Oriole | 30 – 40 | 0.06 – 0.08 | 1.0 – 1.4 |
| Barn Swallow | 17 – 20 | 0.03 – 0.26 | 0.5 – 0.7 |
| Black-Capped Chickadee | 9 – 14 | 0.01 – 0.03 | 0.3 – 0.4 |
| Black-Throated Blue Warbler | 8 – 12 | 0.01 – 0.02 | 0.2 – 0.4 |
| Blue Jay | 70 – 100 | 0.15 – 0.22 | 2.4 – 3.5 |
| Bullocks Oriole | 29 – 43 | 0.06 – 0.09 | 1.0 – 1.5 |
| Carolina Chickadee | 8 – 12 | 0.01 – 0.02 | 0.2 – 0.4 |
| Carolina Wren | 18 – 22 | 0.03 – 0.04 | 0.6 – 0.7 |
| Chestnut-Backed Chickadee | 8 – 13 | 0.01 – 0.02 | 0.2 – 0.4 |
| Clark’s Nutcracker | 106 – 161 | 0.23 – 0.35 | 3.7 – 5.6 |
| Common Grackle | 74 – 142 | 0.16 – 0.31 | 2.6 – 5.0 |
| Common Redpoll | 11 – 20 | 0.02 – – 0.26 | 0.3 – 0.7 |
| Dark-Eyed Junco | 18 – 30 | 0.03 – 0.06 | 0.6 – 1.0 |
| Downy Woodpecker | 21 – 28 | 0.04 – 0.06 | 0.7 – 0.9 |
| Eastern Bluebird | 28 – 32 | 0.06 – 0.07 | 0.9 – 1.1 |
| Eastern Phoebe | 16 – 21 | 0.03 – 0.04 | 0.5 – 0.7 |
| Eurasian Tree Sparrow | 27 – 30 | 0.05 – 0.06 | 0.9 – 1.0 |
| European Starling | 60 – 96 | 0.13 – 0.21 | 2.1 – 3.3 |
| Evening Grosbeak | 53 – 74 | 0.11 – 0.16 | 1.8 – 2.6 |
| Golden-Fronted Woodpecker | 73 – 99 | 0.16 – 0.21 | 2.5 – 3.4 |
| Gray Catbird | 23 – 56 | 0.05 – 0.12 | 0.8 – 1.9 |
| Great-Crested Flycatcher | 27 – 40 | 0.05 – 0.08 | 0.9 – 1.4 |
| Hairy Woodpecker | 40 – 95 | 0.08 – 0.20 | 1.4 – 3.3 |
| House Finch | 16 – 27 | 0.03 – 0.05 | 0.5 – 0.9 |
| Hooded Oriole | 23 – 25 | 0.05 – 0.06 | 0.8 – 0.9 |
| House Sparrow | 24 – 38 | 0.05 – 0.08 | 0.8 – 1.3 |
| House Wren | 10 – 12 | 0.02 – 0.02 | 0.3 – 0.4 |
| Indigo Bunting | 12 – 18 | 0.02 – 0.04 | 0.4 – 0.6 |
| Juniper Titmouse | 15 – 17 | 0.03 – 0.04 | 0.5 – 0.6 |
| Ladder-Backed Woodpeckers | 21 – 48 | 0.04 – 0.10 | 0.7 – 1.6 |
| Lesser Goldfinch | 8 – 12 | 0.01 – 0.02 | 0.2 – 0.4 |
| Mountain Bluebird | 29 – 31 | 0.06 – 0.07 | 1.0 – 1.1 |
| Mountain Chickadee | 10 – 12 | 0.02 – 0.03 | 0.3 – 0.4 |
| Mourning Dove | 140 – 180 | 0.30 – 0.39 | 4.9 – 6.3 |
| Northern Cardinal | 42 – 48 | 0.09 – 0.10 | 1.4 – 1.6 |
| Northern Flicker | 110 – 160 | 0.24 – 0.35 | 3.8 – 5.6 |
| Orange-Crowned Warbler | 7 – 11 | 0.01 – 0.024 | 0.2 – 0.3 |
| Pileated Woodpecker | 250 – 350 | 0.55 – 0.77 | 8.8 – 12 |
| Pine Grosbeak | 47 – 64 | 0.10 – 0.14 | 1.6 – 2.2 |
| Pine Siskin | 12 – 18 | 0.02 – 0.03 | 0.4 – 0.6 |
| Pine Warbler | 9 – 15 | 0.01 – 0.03 | 0.3 – 0.5 |
| Prothonotary Warbler | 13 – 15 | 0.02 – 0.03 | 0.4 – 0.5 |
| Purple Finch | 18 – 32 | 0.03 – 0.07 | 0.6 – 1.1 |
| Pyrrhuloxia | 24 – 43 | 0.05 – 0.09 | 0.8 – 1.5 |
| Red-Bellied Woodpecker | 56 – 91 | 0.12 – 0.20 | 1.9 – 3.2 |
| Red-Breasted Nuthatch | 8 – 13 | 0.01 – 0.02 | 0.2 – 0.4 |
| Red-Headed Woodpecker | 41 – 43 | 0.09 – 0.10 | 1.4 – 1.5 |
| Red-Winged Blackbird | 32 – 77 | 0.07 – 0.16 | 1.1 – 2.7 |
| Rose-Breasted Grosbeak | 39 – 49 | 0.08 – 1.10 | 1.3 – 1.7 |
| Ruby-Throated Hummingbird | 2 – 6 | 0.004 – 0.01 | 0.07 – 0.2 |
| Scotts Oriole | 32 – 41 | 0.07 – 0.09 | 1.1 – 1.4 |
| Song Sparrow | 18 – 20 | 0.03 – 0.04 | 0.6 – 0.7 |
| Spotted Towhee | 33 – 49 | 0.07 – 0.10 | 1.1 – 1.7 |
| Steller’s Jay | 100 – 140 | 0.22 – 0.30 | 3.5 – 4.9 |
| Tree Swallow | 16 – 25 | 0.03 – 0.05 | 0.5 – 0.8 |
| Tufted Titmouse | 20 – 22 | 0.04 – 0.05 | 0.7 – 0.8 |
| Verdin | 6 – 7 | 0.01 – 0.02 | 0.2 – 0.3 |
| Western Bluebird | 24 – 31 | 0.05 – 0.06 | 0.8 – |
| White-Breasted Nuthatch | 19 – 21 | 0.04 – 0.05 | 0.6 – 0.7 |
| White-Throated Sparrow | 20 – 22 | 0.04 – 0.05 | 0.7 – 0.8 |
| Wood Thrush | 40 – 50 | 0.08 – 0.11 | 1.4 – 1.7 |
Average Backyard Bird weight
Even though many of the usual backyard birds you see in your yard aren’t included, this is around the mean weight of up to thirteen of those species.
The lowest recorded weight was 37.3g, and the most was 54.9g, for an average of 42.4g.
If you’re wondering how much something weighs in the real world, 54 grams is about as heavy as two slices of bread or one cup of spaghetti at its lightest.
You probably don’t need a big hand to feed birds by hand because the typical backyard bird weighs less than a nickel.
Even at its heaviest, the average human still weighs less than two pieces of bread, or a sandwich, depending on your preference.
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If I pick a few extreme cases like the Pileated Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, or Mourning Dove and eliminate them, the average weight drops dramatically.
For the record, the following are among my favorite backyard birds, though certainly not the only ones:
Included are the Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Red-Bellied Woodpecker, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow, House Finch, American Goldfinch, Blue Jay, Mourning Dove, Dark-eyed Junco, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, and House Sparrow.
Common lightweight birds
How much a bird weighs at its lightest is incredibly light, and this is typically only the case for small, common backyard birds.
In addition, below is a list of the species I used in my computations; their weights range from 9g to 38g.
Downy Woodpecker, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow, House Finch, Dark-eyed Junco, Black-capped Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, Tufted Titmouse, and House Sparrow.
For no other reason than the fact that I consider the Northern Cardinal and the Hairy Woodpecker to be too heavy for the lightweight bird category, that is where I draw the line.
Bringing the average weight of a small, common bird to 17.2g at its lightest, and 24.2g at its heaviest.
The heaviest of these birds is the house sparrow, which you’re well aware is relatively little, while the lightest is the ubiquitous black-capped chickadee.
After that, we have the American Goldfinch, and after that we have the House Finch; it’s safe to say that the Finches are among the lightest of the typical garden birds.
Male vs female differences
Unfortunately, there isn’t really any concrete data to be sure, although it is established that in certain species there are varying weight disparities between the mature sexes.
Birds vary in weight from the lightest females to those that are only a few grams heavier than their male counterparts.
Since I do not have access to any reliable scientific data, it is difficult for me to clearly outline the differences.
One possible explanation is that even when measuring a male and female bird of the same species, there is still some variation in their weight.
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It’s difficult to account for variables such as the bird’s size, nutrition, the season, and health status when providing an accurate weight estimate, which is why the one I’ve given you is merely an approximation.
Only from live birds that have been captured from the wild and released again are accurate weights obtained for the sake of conservation.
Birds on the heavy size
The ever-present Mourning Dove, which may weigh anywhere from 140g to 180g, is one of the heaviest birds found in typical suburban backyards.
Weight in connection to birds of prey should be disregarded, as very few of us can actually accommodate such enormous birds.
The Blue Jay and Northern Cardinal are now the lightest birds you may anticipate to see at the platform feeder or clumsily attempting to reach bird feed hanging inside the bird feeders.
The woodpeckers are also quite hefty, with the Pileated woodpecker being the heaviest of any of them, followed by the Hairy and Red-bellied woodpeckers.
In a somewhat unsettling comparison, Northern Cardinals can weigh as much as a woman’s bra.
Just like a human being, the typical Blue Jay can lift the equivalent of half a cup of cooked rice, two boiled eggs, or six medium-sized oranges.
To summarize
Wild birds may look bulky, yet even the largest ones can feel as light as a feather in your hand.
Because the typical backyard bird weighs between 37.3 and 54.9 grams, that’s about the same as a light bulb or two medium slices of bread.
Without factoring in my own average, the smallest and lightest birds in the United States are the members of the Hummingbird family, followed by Finches, Warblers, and Wrens.
The Blue Jay and the Northern Cardinal are the heaviest birds that can be found in a typical suburban backyard.
Woodpeckers, on the other hand, are among the heaviest birds yet are not accounted for in the average weight of typical backyard birds.
I did not account for the known gender-based differences in body mass between adult male and female birds of the same species.
That’s because it’s difficult to precisely detect weight disparities in the actual world, which explains why there is a lack of publicly available, hard scientific evidence.
Source: https://petstutorial.com
Category: Birds
