Photo: Dario Sanches / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Pearly-bellied Seedeater
Sporophila pileata
Pearly-bellied Seedeater (Sporophila pileata) — 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 Pearly-bellied Seedeater (Sporophila pileata) is a member of the Thraupidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 8.6 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 pileata
Where it lives
Northeastern Bolivia, central, southern Brazil, Paraguay, northeastern Argentina and Uruguay
Quick facts
- Weight
- 8.6 g
- Diet
- Seed-eaters
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Endangered
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Pearly-bellied Seedeater is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Pearly-bellied Seedeater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Pearly-bellied Seedeater (Sporophila pileata) is a species of bird in the Thraupidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA ne Bolivia, c, s Brazil, Paraguay, ne Argentina and Uruguay.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 8.6 g, with a wing length of about 5.1 cm and a tail of around 3.9 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 1.5 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Pearly-bellied Seedeater?
The Pearly-bellied Seedeater is a very small bird that weighs around 8.6 g.
Where does the Pearly-bellied Seedeater live?
The Pearly-bellied Seedeater is found across South America with a range covering SA ne Bolivia, c, s Brazil, Paraguay, ne Argentina and Uruguay, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Pearly-bellied Seedeater belong to?
The Pearly-bellied Seedeater (Sporophila pileata) belongs to the Thraupidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Pearly-bellied Seedeater eat?
The Pearly-bellied Seedeater is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Does the Pearly-bellied Seedeater migrate?
The Pearly-bellied Seedeater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Pearly-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 Pearly-bellied Seedeater make?
1 real field recording of the Pearly-bellied Seedeater — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Pearly-bellied Seedeater's range?
The Pearly-bellied Seedeater has a mapped global range of about 1.5 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
Endangered
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
More in Songbirds
Not Evaluated
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
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.