Wedge-tailed Grass Finch

Overview

The wedge-tailed grass finch (Emberizoides herbicola) is a small passerine bird in the tanager family Thraupidae. It is characterised by its wedge-shaped tail and is found across South America, as well as in Colombia and Panama.

Identification

• Approximately 20 cm long, with a moderately thick yellow to yellow-orange bill featuring a blackish culmen.
• Nominate adults have pale brownish plumage with bold brown and blackish streaks on the upperparts and a pale, creamy white underbody.
• Possesses a long, pointed tail with dark centres and greyish-brown edges.
• The day song of the nominate subspecies is described as a sweet, melodious double whistle, rising then falling, transcribed as 'jewléé, jewlóóó'.

Habitat

This species inhabits damp to dryish grasslands that usually contain scattered shrubs, with the nominate subspecies also found in savanna. It strongly favours tall grass and ranges in elevation from sea level up to 1,800 m in Colombia. Its distribution is highly disjunct, covering most of mainland South America excluding Chile, plus parts of Central America.

Diet

While its diet has not been formally studied, it is believed to consist primarily of seeds and arthropods. Foraging is conducted on the ground, usually within tall grass, by single individuals or pairs. They occasionally follow army ant swarms to feed.

Did you know?

Males of the nominate subspecies perform a distinct jerky flight display at dawn to attract mates.