Lined Seedeater

Overview

The lined seedeater (Sporophila lineola) is a small passerine bird in the tanager family, Thraupidae, found across mainland South America. It is a complete or near-complete migrant that breeds in parts of Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina, and winters in other regions of the continent.

Identification

• Adults are sexually dimorphic, with males featuring a black head with a wide white stripe on the crown and a large triangular white cheek patch, while females are brownish olive above and buffy below.
• Males have black upperparts with a thin white band on the rump, and wings with white primary bases visible on the closed wing; females have a dark maxilla and horn-colored mandible.
• The species is 10 to 11 cm long with a short, thick bill and a rounded culmen.
• Vocalizations include a resonating warbling trill followed by high-pitched chips in the south, or a trill preceded by 'tic' notes in the east.

Habitat

The lined seedeater inhabits open to semi-open landscapes such as savanna, caatinga, dry forest, and shrubby clearings, often near water. It ranges from sea level to 1,200 m in Brazil, though a vagrant was recorded at 4,250 m in Chile. Its distribution covers the southeastern half of Colombia south through eastern Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia into northern Argentina, extending east across most of Venezuela, the Guianas, Paraguay, and Brazil.

Diet

The species feeds primarily on seeds, particularly those of grasses, foraging on the ground or while clinging to grass stalks. It usually forages in pairs during the breeding season but forms small flocks at other times.

Did you know?

The specific epithet 'lineola' is Latin for 'little line', a diminutive of the word for line, referring to the species' markings.