Photo: Hector Bottai / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Black-capped Warbling Finch
Microspingus melanoleucus
Black-capped Warbling Finch (Microspingus melanoleucus) — 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 Black-capped Warbling Finch (Microspingus melanoleucus) is a member of the Thraupidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 13.1 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 Microspingus
- Species melanoleucus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 13.1 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black-capped Warbling Finch is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Black-capped Warbling Finch is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Black-capped Warbling Finch (Microspingus melanoleucus) belongs to the Thraupidae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA c Bolivia to c Argentina and Uruguay.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 13.1 g, with a wing length of about 6 cm and a tail of around 5.5 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 1.5 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black-capped Warbling Finch?
The Black-capped Warbling Finch is a very small bird that weighs around 13.1 g.
Where does the Black-capped Warbling Finch live?
The Black-capped Warbling Finch is found across South America with a range covering SA c Bolivia to c Argentina and Uruguay, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Black-capped Warbling Finch belong to?
The Black-capped Warbling Finch (Microspingus melanoleucus) belongs to the Thraupidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Black-capped Warbling Finch eat?
The Black-capped Warbling Finch is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Black-capped Warbling Finch migrate?
The Black-capped Warbling Finch is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Black-capped Warbling Finch 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 Black-capped Warbling Finch make?
1 real field recording of the Black-capped Warbling Finch — 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 Black-capped Warbling Finch's range?
The Black-capped Warbling Finch has a mapped global range of about 1.5 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
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.