Photo: TonyCastro / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Drab Seedeater
Sporophila simplex
Drab Seedeater (Sporophila simplex) — 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 Drab Seedeater (Sporophila simplex) is a member of the Thraupidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 28 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 simplex
Quick facts
- Weight
- 28 g
- Diet
- Seed-eaters
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Drab 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 Drab Seedeater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Drab Seedeater (Sporophila simplex) is a member of the Thraupidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA sw Ecuador and w Peru.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 28 g, with a wing length of about 5.7 cm and a tail of around 4.7 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 95,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Drab Seedeater?
The Drab Seedeater is a small bird that weighs around 28 g.
Where does the Drab Seedeater live?
The Drab Seedeater is found across South America with a range covering SA sw Ecuador and w Peru, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Drab Seedeater belong to?
The Drab Seedeater (Sporophila simplex) belongs to the Thraupidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Drab Seedeater eat?
The Drab Seedeater is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Does the Drab Seedeater migrate?
The Drab Seedeater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Drab 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 Drab Seedeater make?
1 real field recording of the Drab 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 Drab Seedeater's range?
The Drab Seedeater has a mapped global range of about 95,000 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.