Chestnut-throated Seedeater

Overview

The chestnut-throated seedeater, Sporophila telasco, is a small Neotropical songbird belonging to the family Thraupidae. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• Approximately 4.0 inches in length, making it one of the smallest members of the tanager family.
• Males display a rich chestnut patch on the throat during the breeding season, while females share a similar color pattern but lack this distinct throat patch.
• Equipped with a powerful bill used to harvest grass seeds.
• Outside of the breeding season, the bird moults into drab plumage to reduce the risk of predation.

Habitat

Found along the western seaboard of South America, ranging from southwestern Colombia to far northern Chile. Its natural habitats include subtropical and tropical dry and moist shrublands, swamps, sandy shores, and heavily degraded former forests along the Pacific coast and montane uplands, primarily in Ecuador, Peru, and Chile.

Diet

The species uses its powerful bill to harvest grass seeds.

Did you know?

The species serves as an indicator of declining forest health because its populations appear to increase following deforestation and land-use change.