| Wing-barred seedeater | |
|---|---|
.JPG) | |
| A male wing-barred seedeater atIranduba,Amazonas state,Brazil | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Thraupidae |
| Genus: | Sporophila |
| Species: | S. americana |
| Binomial name | |
| Sporophila americana (Gmelin, 1789) | |
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Thewing-barred seedeater (Sporophila americana) is apasserinebird from coastal regions of north-easternSouth America in north-easternVenezuela,Tobago, theGuianas,Amapá and north-easternPará (with a single record fromMaranhão),Brazil, and along theAmazon River upstream to aroundManaus. Formerly, it included the mainlyCentral AmericanSporophila corvina and the westAmazonianS. murallae assubspecies, in which case the combined species had thecommon name Variable Seedeater. Following the split, this common name is now restricted toS. corvina.
It has a total length of approximately 11 cm (4+1⁄4 in). Adult males have a relatively heavy black bill. The upperparts are black, except for a greyish rump (actually white finely streaked black, but only visible up-close) and two distinct white wing-bars (the lower often reduced). The underparts are white, except for a broad black pectoral collar (sometimes reduced and incomplete) and blackish mottling to the upper flanks. The far duller female has a brownish bill, dull buffy-olive upperparts and pale olive-ochre underparts.Juveniles resemble adult females.
It is found in open or semi-open grassy areas and shrub, usually in pairs or small flocks. As with otherSporophila seedeaters, it mainly feeds on seeds, but has also been observed taking flowers, buds and fruits.
It remains fairly common in Suriname, French Guiana and parts of Brazil, and is therefore considered to be ofleast concern byBirdLife International andIUCN. It is rare to uncommon in Venezuela and Guyana where threatened by trapping for the wild bird trade.
