Wing-barred Seedeater

Winged Barred Seedeater

Small seed-eating bird with a thick black bill. Male strikingly black-and-white, with much variation in extent of black breastband and white wingbars. Averages darker at western end of range (Ecuador and Peru), paler along coast of northeastern South America. Separated from other black-and-white seedeaters by dark bill, white throat and collar imparting cowled appearance. No known range overlap with similar Variable Seedeater. Females nondescript brown and very difficult to distinguish from other seedeaters, sometimes best left unidentified. Look for thick black bill with curved culmen. Found in disturbed habitats including pastures, river edges, and scrubby weedy areas. Usually in pairs or small flocks, sometimes mixed with other seedeater species.

The wing-barred seedeater (Sporophila americana) is a passerine bird from coastal regions of north-eastern South America in north-eastern Venezuela, Tobago, the Guianas, Amapá and north-eastern Pará (with a single record from Maranhão), Brazil, and along the Amazon River upstream to around Manaus. Formerly, it included the mainly Central American Sporophila corvina and the west Amazonian S. murallae as subspecies, in which case the combined species had the common name Variable Seedeater. Following the split, this common name is now restricted to S. corvina.

It has a total length of approximately 11 cm (4+1⁄4 in). Adult males have a relatively heavy black bill. The upperparts are black, except for a greyish rump (actually white finely streaked black, but only visible up-close) and two distinct white wing-bars (the lower often reduced). The underparts are white, except for a broad black pectoral collar (sometimes reduced and incomplete) and blackish mottling to the upper flanks. The far duller female has a brownish bill, dull buffy-olive upperparts and pale olive-ochre underparts. Juveniles resemble adult females.

It is found in open or semi-open grassy areas and shrub, usually in pairs or small flocks. As with other Sporophila seedeaters, it mainly feeds on seeds, but has also been observed taking flowers, buds and fruits.