Morelet's Seedeater

Overview

Morelet's seedeater is a small bird in the family Thraupidae, found in a range from Texas to Panama. It is currently classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, with a large and increasing population of at least 14 million mature individuals.

Identification

• Approximately 11 cm long with a short, thick bill that has a rounded culmen; males have a black bill, while females have a brown upper mandible and pale lower mandible.
• Adult males display distinct sexual dimorphism, often featuring a blackish crown and head with a white crescent below the eye, an olive-gray back, and black wings with buffy white wing bars.
• Females are generally grayish or brownish olive with gray wings and tails, lacking the white on the primaries and having thinner wing bars than males.
• Song is described variably as a dry trill following 'wee wee wee', or as a melodious 'sweet, sweet, sweet, cheer' followed by trills.

Habitat

Primarily inhabits open grassy areas such as pastures, roadsides, weedy agricultural fields, and grassy marshes, often near water. The species ranges from sea level up to 2,000 m in elevation, with different subspecies distributed from the Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas through Central America to western Panama.

Diet

Feeds primarily on seeds, especially those of grasses, and supplements its diet with insects during the breeding season. It usually plucks seeds while clinging to grass stems or while on the ground, often foraging in small mixed-species groups.

Did you know?

The species name 'morelleti' contains a persistent misspelling of the collector's name, P. M. A. Morelet, which remains official due to the principle of priority.