Grey Seedeater

Overview

The grey seedeater (Sporophila intermedia) is a small bird species in the family Thraupidae. It is found across parts of South America, including Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, and Venezuela, and is currently assessed as being of Least Concern.

Identification

• Approximately 11 cm long, with a short, thick bill featuring a rounded culmen; males have pinkish-orange bills while females have blackish ones.
• Sexually dimorphic plumage: adult males are medium grey with a blue cast and faint darker streaks on the upperparts, while females and juveniles are buffy brown with cinnamon flanks.
• Song consists of a spirited series of musical twitters, chips, and trills, often starting with "chu chu chu-wee", and may incorporate mimetic phrases from other bird species.

Habitat

It inhabits open areas such as grasslands, shrubby forest clearings, and urban spaces like vacant lots, parks, and gardens. Its range covers northern and central Colombia, most of Venezuela excluding the Andes, western Guyana, and extreme northern Brazil, with possible occurrence in Ecuador and a vagrant record in French Guiana.

Diet

The species feeds primarily on grass seed, particularly from Panicum species, supplemented by small arthropods and nectar. It forages by plucking seeds while clinging to grass stems and catches flying insects in mid-air.

Did you know?

The grey seedeater is known to incorporate mimetic phrases and partial songs of many other bird species into its own rambling vocalisations, a behaviour observed in some or perhaps all individuals.