Photo: Félix Uribe from Rionegro, Antioquia, Colombia / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Black-faced Grassquit
Melanospiza bicolor
Black-faced Grassquit (Melanospiza bicolor) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of North America.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Black-faced Grassquit (Melanospiza bicolor) is a member of the Thraupidae family found in North America and South America. Adults weigh 9.8 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 Melanospiza
- Species bicolor
Quick facts
- Weight
- 9.8 g
- Diet
- Seed-eaters
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black-faced Grassquit is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Black-faced Grassquit is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Black-faced Grassquit (Melanospiza bicolor) is a species of bird in the Thraupidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans North America and South America. Its distribution covers NA, SA West Indies and n SA.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 9.8 g, with a wing length of about 5.3 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.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 269,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black-faced Grassquit?
The Black-faced Grassquit is a very small bird that weighs around 9.8 g.
Where does the Black-faced Grassquit live?
The Black-faced Grassquit is found across North America and South America with a range covering NA, SA West Indies and n SA, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Black-faced Grassquit belong to?
The Black-faced Grassquit (Melanospiza bicolor) belongs to the Thraupidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Black-faced Grassquit eat?
The Black-faced Grassquit is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Does the Black-faced Grassquit migrate?
The Black-faced Grassquit is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Black-faced Grassquit 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-faced Grassquit make?
1 real field recording of the Black-faced Grassquit — 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 Black-faced Grassquit's range?
The Black-faced Grassquit has a mapped global range of about 269,000 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.