noun
small bird; little bird
General term for a small bird, often used affectionately or in contrast to larger birds.
庭に小鳥が来るようになった。
Small birds have started coming to the garden.
小鳥のさえずりで目が覚めた。
I woke up to the chirping of little birds.
Standard kanji spelling; high priority.
鳥 is the general word for 'bird', while 小鳥 specifically refers to small birds.
Compound of 小 (small) and 鳥 (bird).