Skip to main content

Photo: Dario Sanches from São Paulo, Brazil / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Copper Seedeater

Sporophila bouvreuil

Copper Seedeater (Sporophila bouvreuil) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists
See what's near you right now

The Copper Seedeater (Sporophila bouvreuil) is a member of the Thraupidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 8.6 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

  1. Class Aves
  2. Order Passeriformes
  3. Family Thraupidae Tanagers & Allies
  4. Genus Sporophila
  5. Species bouvreuil

Where it lives

Southern Suriname and eastern, southeastern Brazil

Quick facts

Weight
8.6 g
Family
Thraupidae

How to identify

Similar birds

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Copper 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 Copper Seedeater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

The Copper Seedeater (Sporophila bouvreuil) is a species of bird in the Thraupidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA s Suriname and e, se Brazil.

It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 8.6 g, with a wing length of about 5.1 cm and a tail of around 3.9 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 3.3 million km².

Songs & calls

Copper Seedeater — Call

Recorded by JAYRSON ARAUJO DE OLIVEIRA Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Copper Seedeater?

The Copper Seedeater is a very small bird that weighs around 8.6 g.

Where does the Copper Seedeater live?

The Copper Seedeater is found across South America with a range covering SA s Suriname and e, se Brazil, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.

What family does the Copper Seedeater belong to?

The Copper Seedeater (Sporophila bouvreuil) belongs to the Thraupidae family, in the order Passeriformes.

What does the Copper Seedeater eat?

The Copper Seedeater is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.

Does the Copper Seedeater migrate?

The Copper Seedeater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

Is the Copper 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 Copper Seedeater make?

1 real field recording of the Copper Seedeater — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Copper Seedeater's range?

The Copper Seedeater has a mapped global range of about 3.3 million km².

Conservation

Least Concern

Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.

How to help birds

Explore more birds

More in Thraupidae

More in Songbirds

Guides for this bird

Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds

How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.

4 min read

Meet the Thraupidae

A field guide to the Thraupidae family — 394 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.

1 min read

Back to top