Photo: Hector Bottai / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Chestnut-bellied Seedeater
Sporophila castaneiventris
Chestnut-bellied Seedeater (Sporophila castaneiventris) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 8 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Chestnut-bellied Seedeater (Sporophila castaneiventris) is a member of the Thraupidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 7.8 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 Sporophila
- Species castaneiventris
Quick facts
- Weight
- 7.8 g
- Diet
- Seed-eaters
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Chestnut-bellied Seedeater is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Chestnut-bellied Seedeater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Chestnut-bellied Seedeater (Sporophila castaneiventris) belongs to the Thraupidae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA Guiana Shield and Amazonia.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 7.8 g, with a wing length of about 4.9 cm and a tail of around 3.8 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 3.5 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Chestnut-bellied Seedeater?
The Chestnut-bellied Seedeater is a very small bird that weighs around 7.8 g.
Where does the Chestnut-bellied Seedeater live?
The Chestnut-bellied Seedeater is found across South America with a range covering SA Guiana Shield and Amazonia, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Chestnut-bellied Seedeater belong to?
The Chestnut-bellied Seedeater (Sporophila castaneiventris) belongs to the Thraupidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Chestnut-bellied Seedeater eat?
The Chestnut-bellied Seedeater is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Does the Chestnut-bellied Seedeater migrate?
The Chestnut-bellied Seedeater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Chestnut-bellied 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 Chestnut-bellied Seedeater make?
1 real field recording of the Chestnut-bellied 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 Chestnut-bellied Seedeater's range?
The Chestnut-bellied Seedeater has a mapped global range of about 3.5 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.
Explore more birds
More in Thraupidae
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Not Evaluated
More in Songbirds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Near Threatened
Critically Endangered
Not Evaluated
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.