Photo: Nick Athanas / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Parrot-billed Seedeater
Sporophila peruviana
Parrot-billed Seedeater (Sporophila peruviana) — 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 Parrot-billed Seedeater (Sporophila peruviana) is a member of the Thraupidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 12.6 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 peruviana
Quick facts
- Weight
- 12.6 g
- Diet
- Seed-eaters
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Parrot-billed Seedeater 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 Parrot-billed Seedeater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Parrot-billed Seedeater (Sporophila peruviana) belongs to the Thraupidae family of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans South America. Its distribution covers SA w Ecuador and w Peru.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 12.6 g, with a wing length of about 6 cm and a tail of around 4.4 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 102,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Parrot-billed Seedeater?
The Parrot-billed Seedeater is a very small bird that weighs around 12.6 g.
Where does the Parrot-billed Seedeater live?
The Parrot-billed Seedeater is found across South America with a range covering SA w Ecuador and w Peru, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Parrot-billed Seedeater belong to?
The Parrot-billed Seedeater (Sporophila peruviana) belongs to the Thraupidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Parrot-billed Seedeater eat?
The Parrot-billed Seedeater is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Does the Parrot-billed Seedeater migrate?
The Parrot-billed Seedeater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Parrot-billed 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 Parrot-billed Seedeater make?
1 real field recording of the Parrot-billed 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 Parrot-billed Seedeater's range?
The Parrot-billed Seedeater has a mapped global range of about 102,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
More in Thraupidae
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
More in Songbirds
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Endangered
Least Concern
Least Concern
Endangered
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.