Photo: Dario Sanches / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Blue-black Grassquit
Volatinia jacarina
Blue-black Grassquit (Volatinia jacarina) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 19 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Blue-black Grassquit (Volatinia jacarina) is a member of the Thraupidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 9.9 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 Volatinia
- Species jacarina
Quick facts
- Weight
- 9.9 g
- Diet
- Seed-eaters
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Urban & human-modified
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Blue-black Grassquit is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Behaviour
A bird of farmland, parks and gardens, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Blue-black Grassquit is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Blue-black Grassquit (Volatinia jacarina) is a member of the Thraupidae family, within the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA widespread.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 9.9 g, with a wing length of about 4.8 cm and a tail of around 4.3 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 15.2 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Blue-black Grassquit?
The Blue-black Grassquit is a very small bird that weighs around 9.9 g.
Where does the Blue-black Grassquit live?
The Blue-black Grassquit is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA widespread, where it adapts readily to towns, parks and gardens.
What family does the Blue-black Grassquit belong to?
The Blue-black Grassquit (Volatinia jacarina) belongs to the Thraupidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Blue-black Grassquit eat?
The Blue-black Grassquit is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Does the Blue-black Grassquit migrate?
The Blue-black Grassquit is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Blue-black 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 Blue-black Grassquit make?
1 real field recording of the Blue-black 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 Blue-black Grassquit's range?
The Blue-black Grassquit has a mapped global range of about 15.2 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
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.