Photo: Félix Uribe from Rionegro, Antioquia, Colombia / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Ruddy-breasted Seedeater
Sporophila minuta
Ruddy-breasted Seedeater (Sporophila minuta) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 13 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Ruddy-breasted Seedeater (Sporophila minuta) is a member of the Thraupidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 7.8 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 minuta
Quick facts
- Weight
- 7.8 g
- Diet
- Seed-eaters
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Ruddy-breasted Seedeater is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Ruddy-breasted Seedeater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Ruddy-breasted Seedeater (Sporophila minuta) is a species of bird in the Thraupidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA sw Mexico through n SA.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 7.8 g, with a wing length of about 4.9 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.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 2.2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Ruddy-breasted Seedeater?
The Ruddy-breasted Seedeater is a very small bird that weighs around 7.8 g.
Where does the Ruddy-breasted Seedeater live?
The Ruddy-breasted Seedeater is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA sw Mexico through n SA, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Ruddy-breasted Seedeater belong to?
The Ruddy-breasted Seedeater (Sporophila minuta) belongs to the Thraupidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Ruddy-breasted Seedeater eat?
The Ruddy-breasted Seedeater is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Does the Ruddy-breasted Seedeater migrate?
The Ruddy-breasted Seedeater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Ruddy-breasted 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 Ruddy-breasted Seedeater make?
1 real field recording of the Ruddy-breasted Seedeater — including its begging call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Ruddy-breasted Seedeater's range?
The Ruddy-breasted Seedeater has a mapped global range of about 2.2 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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Meet the Thraupidae
A field guide to the Thraupidae family — 394 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.