Photo: Félix Uribe from Rionegro, Antioquia, Colombia / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Yellow-faced Grassquit
Tiaris olivaceus
Yellow-faced Grassquit (Tiaris olivaceus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of North America.
Found across 17 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Yellow-faced Grassquit (Tiaris olivaceus) is a member of the Thraupidae family found in Central America & Caribbean, North America and South America. Adults weigh 8.5 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 Tiaris
- Species olivaceus
Where it lives
Greater Antilles, eastern Mexico to northwestern South America
Quick facts
- Weight
- 8.5 g
- Diet
- Seed-eaters
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Urban & human-modified
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Yellow-faced Grassquit 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 Yellow-faced Grassquit is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Yellow-faced Grassquit (Tiaris olivaceus) is a member of the Thraupidae family, within the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Central America & Caribbean, North America and South America. Its distribution covers NA, MA, SA Greater Antilles, e Mexico to nw South America.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 8.5 g, with a wing length of about 5 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 967,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Yellow-faced Grassquit?
The Yellow-faced Grassquit is a very small bird that weighs around 8.5 g.
Where does the Yellow-faced Grassquit live?
The Yellow-faced Grassquit is found across Central America & Caribbean, North America and South America with a range covering NA, MA, SA Greater Antilles, e Mexico to nw South America, where it adapts readily to towns, parks and gardens.
What family does the Yellow-faced Grassquit belong to?
The Yellow-faced Grassquit (Tiaris olivaceus) belongs to the Thraupidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Yellow-faced Grassquit eat?
The Yellow-faced Grassquit is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Does the Yellow-faced Grassquit migrate?
The Yellow-faced Grassquit is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Yellow-faced Grassquit 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-faced Grassquit make?
1 real field recording of the Yellow-faced Grassquit — 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 Yellow-faced Grassquit's range?
The Yellow-faced Grassquit has a mapped global range of about 967,000 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.