Black-and-white Seedeater

Overview

The black-and-white seedeater (Sporophila luctuosa) is a small bird in the family Thraupidae, native to the Andes of South America. It is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, with a very large range and a stable population size.

Identification

• Size: Approximately 11 cm long, weighing an average of 12.5 g.
• Males: Black head, upperparts, tail, throat, and flanks with sharply demarcated white underparts; a thin white crescent under the eye and a white patch on the folded wings formed by the bases of the primaries.
• Females: Buffy brown crown, upperparts, wings, and tail; pale warm cinnamon throat, breast, and flanks with a paler buff belly and undertail coverts.
• Bill: Short and thick with a rounded culmen; blue-gray in males and blackish in females.
• Song: A distinctive, unmusical series of 6–8 rapidly delivered harsh notes with an almost icterid (blackbird-like) quality, unlike other species in its genus.

Habitat

Found in the Andes of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and central Bolivia, with occasional vagrancies to western Brazil. It inhabits grassy areas within and at the edges of forests, as well as pastures and shrubby areas. Elevation varies by country, generally ranging between 900 m and 3,200 m.

Diet

Primarily feeds on seeds, including those of grasses and Chusquea bamboo, which it takes by clinging to the stems. During the breeding season, it usually forages in pairs, while outside this period it forms flocks of up to 30 individuals, often mixed with other Sporophila species.

Did you know?

The species is considered somewhat nomadic, moving in search of grasses in seed, with individuals in Ecuador and Peru occasionally migrating east into the extreme western Amazon basin. Its preference for second-growth edges may actually increase its habitat availability as montane forests are disturbed or degraded.