Photo: Félix Uribe from Rionegro, Antioquia, Colombia / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Yellow-bellied Seedeater
Sporophila nigricollis
Yellow-bellied Seedeater (Sporophila nigricollis) — 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 Yellow-bellied Seedeater (Sporophila nigricollis) is a member of the Thraupidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 9.6 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 nigricollis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 9.6 g
- Diet
- Seed-eaters
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Near Threatened
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Yellow-bellied Seedeater is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Behaviour
A bird of open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Yellow-bellied Seedeater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Yellow-bellied Seedeater (Sporophila nigricollis) is a member of the Thraupidae family, within the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA Costa Rica to Bolivia.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 9.6 g, with a wing length of about 5.2 cm and a tail of around 4.3 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 7.2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Yellow-bellied Seedeater?
The Yellow-bellied Seedeater is a very small bird that weighs around 9.6 g.
Where does the Yellow-bellied Seedeater live?
The Yellow-bellied Seedeater is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA Costa Rica to Bolivia, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Yellow-bellied Seedeater belong to?
The Yellow-bellied Seedeater (Sporophila nigricollis) belongs to the Thraupidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Yellow-bellied Seedeater eat?
The Yellow-bellied Seedeater is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Does the Yellow-bellied Seedeater migrate?
The Yellow-bellied Seedeater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Yellow-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 Yellow-bellied Seedeater make?
1 real field recording of the Yellow-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 Yellow-bellied Seedeater's range?
The Yellow-bellied Seedeater has a mapped global range of about 7.2 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.