Photo: Cephas / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Morelet’s Seedeater
Sporophila morelleti
Morelet's Seedeater (Sporophila morelleti) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of North America.
Found across 8 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Morelet’s Seedeater (Sporophila morelleti) is a member of the Thraupidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 8.7 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 morelleti
Quick facts
- Weight
- 8.7 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 Morelet’s Seedeater is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Behaviour
A bird of farmland, parks and gardens, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Morelet’s Seedeater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Morelet’s Seedeater (Sporophila morelleti) is a member of the Thraupidae family, within the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Central America & Caribbean and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA s Texas, e Mexico to Panama.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 8.7 g, with a wing length of about 4.9 cm and a tail of around 4.1 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 855,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Morelet’s Seedeater?
The Morelet’s Seedeater is a very small bird that weighs around 8.7 g.
Where does the Morelet’s Seedeater live?
The Morelet’s Seedeater is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA s Texas, e Mexico to Panama, where it adapts readily to towns, parks and gardens.
What family does the Morelet’s Seedeater belong to?
The Morelet’s Seedeater (Sporophila morelleti) belongs to the Thraupidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Morelet’s Seedeater eat?
The Morelet’s Seedeater is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Does the Morelet’s Seedeater migrate?
The Morelet’s Seedeater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Morelet’s 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 Morelet’s Seedeater make?
1 real field recording of the Morelet’s 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 Morelet’s Seedeater's range?
The Morelet’s Seedeater has a mapped global range of about 855,000 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.