Photo: Francesco Veronesi / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Slate-colored Seedeater
Sporophila schistacea
Slate-colored Seedeater (Sporophila schistacea) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 12 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Slate-colored Seedeater (Sporophila schistacea) is a member of the Thraupidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 12.7 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Thraupidae Tanagers & Allies
- Genus Sporophila
- Species schistacea
Where it lives
Southern Mexico to northern Ecuador and northern Brazil
Quick facts
- Weight
- 12.7 g
- Diet
- Seed-eaters
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Slate-colored Seedeater is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it uses a wide range of foraging strategies.
Migration
The Slate-colored Seedeater is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Slate-colored Seedeater (Sporophila schistacea) is a member of the Thraupidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA s Mexico to n Ecuador and n Brazil.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 12.7 g, with a wing length of about 6.2 cm and a tail of around 4 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 1.6 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Slate-colored Seedeater?
The Slate-colored Seedeater is a very small bird that weighs around 12.7 g.
Where does the Slate-colored Seedeater live?
The Slate-colored Seedeater is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA s Mexico to n Ecuador and n Brazil, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Slate-colored Seedeater belong to?
The Slate-colored Seedeater (Sporophila schistacea) belongs to the Thraupidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Slate-colored Seedeater eat?
The Slate-colored Seedeater is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Does the Slate-colored Seedeater migrate?
The Slate-colored Seedeater is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Slate-colored Seedeater endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Slate-colored Seedeater make?
1 real field recording of the Slate-colored Seedeater can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Slate-colored Seedeater's range?
The Slate-colored Seedeater has a mapped global range of about 1.6 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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A field guide to the Thraupidae family — 394 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.