Photo: Hector Bottai / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Rufous-rumped Seedeater
Sporophila hypochroma
Rufous-rumped Seedeater (Sporophila hypochroma) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Rufous-rumped Seedeater (Sporophila hypochroma) is a member of the Thraupidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 9.7 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Thraupidae Tanagers & Allies
- Genus Sporophila
- Species hypochroma
Quick facts
- Weight
- 9.7 g
- Diet
- Seed-eaters
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Near Threatened
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Rufous-rumped 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 Rufous-rumped Seedeater is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Rufous-rumped Seedeater (Sporophila hypochroma) is a member of the Thraupidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA c Paraguay and ne Argentina.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 9.7 g, with a wing length of about 5.3 cm and a tail of around 4.2 cm.
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 200,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Rufous-rumped Seedeater?
The Rufous-rumped Seedeater is a very small bird that weighs around 9.7 g.
Where does the Rufous-rumped Seedeater live?
The Rufous-rumped Seedeater is found across South America with a range covering SA c Paraguay and ne Argentina, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Rufous-rumped Seedeater belong to?
The Rufous-rumped Seedeater (Sporophila hypochroma) belongs to the Thraupidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Rufous-rumped Seedeater eat?
The Rufous-rumped Seedeater is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Does the Rufous-rumped Seedeater migrate?
The Rufous-rumped Seedeater is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Rufous-rumped Seedeater endangered?
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
What sound does the Rufous-rumped Seedeater make?
1 real field recording of the Rufous-rumped Seedeater — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Rufous-rumped Seedeater's range?
The Rufous-rumped Seedeater has a mapped global range of about 200,000 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
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.
Meet the Thraupidae
A field guide to the Thraupidae family — 394 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.