Photo: Dario Sanches from São Paulo, Brazil / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Wedge-tailed Grass Finch
Emberizoides herbicola
Wedge-tailed Grass Finch (Emberizoides herbicola) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 12 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Wedge-tailed Grass Finch (Emberizoides herbicola) is a member of the Thraupidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 27.6 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 Emberizoides
- Species herbicola
Quick facts
- Weight
- 27.6 g
- Diet
- Seed-eaters
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Near Threatened
Not Evaluated
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Wedge-tailed Grass Finch is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Wedge-tailed Grass Finch is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Wedge-tailed Grass Finch (Emberizoides herbicola) is a species of bird in the Thraupidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA Costa Rica to ne Argentina.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 27.6 g, with a wing length of about 7 cm and a tail of around 9.7 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 5.6 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Wedge-tailed Grass Finch?
The Wedge-tailed Grass Finch is a small bird that weighs around 27.6 g.
Where does the Wedge-tailed Grass Finch live?
The Wedge-tailed Grass Finch is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA Costa Rica to ne Argentina, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Wedge-tailed Grass Finch belong to?
The Wedge-tailed Grass Finch (Emberizoides herbicola) belongs to the Thraupidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Wedge-tailed Grass Finch eat?
The Wedge-tailed Grass Finch is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Does the Wedge-tailed Grass Finch migrate?
The Wedge-tailed Grass Finch is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Wedge-tailed Grass Finch 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 Wedge-tailed Grass Finch make?
1 real field recording of the Wedge-tailed Grass Finch — 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 Wedge-tailed Grass Finch's range?
The Wedge-tailed Grass Finch has a mapped global range of about 5.6 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.
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Guides for this bird
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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.