Birds of Venezuela

    PASSERIFORMES: Thraupidae (Tanagers & Allies)  
Genus: Sporophila (14 species, 41 worldwide)

Genus Sporophila contains small to tiny seedeaters in the tanager (Thraupidae) family. They have thick bills used mostly to eat grass seeds. The female is often plain and brown, but may show hints of the male's characteristics.


Wing-barred Seedeater
Wing-barred Seedeater (Sporophila americana murallae) Male
Puerto Nariño, Amazonas, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Wing-barred Seedeater
Wing-barred Seedeater (Sporophila americana murallae) Female
Puerto Nariño, Amazonas, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.


Chestnut-bellied Seed Finch
Chestnut-bellied Seed Finch (Sporophila angolensis) Male
Villavicencio, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Chestnut-bellied Seed Finch
Chestnut-bellied Seed Finch (Sporophila angolensis torrida) Female
Villavicencio, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Once considered the same species at the all black Thick-billed Seed Finch. HBW writes there is some hybridization in the Madgalena Valley of Colombia.

Lesson's Seedeater
Lesson's Seedeater (Sporophila bouvronides) Male
Venezuela
  Note top of head is black.
   
Photograph by Barlovento from Venezuela     Copyright and usage info

Lesson's Seedeater
Lesson's Seedeater (Sporophila bouvronides) Female
Venezuela  
   
Photograph by Barlovento from Venezuela     Copyright and usage info

Compare to Lined Seedeater, but note black crown. Found in marshes and grassland.

Chestnut-bellied Seedeater
Chestnut-bellied Seedeater (Sporophila castaneiventris) Male
Wildsumaco Lodge, Sumaco, Ecuador  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Chestnut-bellied Seedeater
Chestnut-bellied Seedeater (Sporophila castaneiventris) Female
Inírida, Guainía, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.


Large-billed Seed Finch
Large-billed Seed Finch (Sporophila crassirostris) Male
Ecuador  
   
Photograph by Brendan Ryan     Copyright and usage info

Large-billed Seed Finch
Large-billed Seed Finch (Sporophila crassirostris) Female
Cocorna, Antioquia, Colombia
  The male is black with a light-colored bill. Female is similar to Thick-billed Seed Finch (ID of this photo not certain).
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Very rare and unreliable.

White-naped Seedeater
White-naped Seedeater (Sporophila fringilloides)
Mitu, Vaupes, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Manakin Nature Tours - Luis Urueña   © All Rights Reserved.


Grey Seedeater
Grey Seedeater (Sporophila intermedia intermedia) Male
Copacabana, Antioquia, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Grey Seedeater
Grey Seedeater (Sporophila intermedia bogotensis) Female
Laguna Sonso, Buga, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.


Lined Seedeater
Lined Seedeater (Sporophila lineola) Male
REGUA, Cachoeiras de Macacu, RJ, Brazil  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Lined Seedeater
Lined Seedeater (Sporophila lineola) Female
San Martín de Amacayacu, Amazonas, Colombia
  Showing hints of the male coloration, as do many female seedeaters.
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Moves seasonally to northwest Amazon perhaps to eat grass seeds during the low water season. Compare to Lesson's Seedeater but note white crown; females identical.

Black-and-white Seedeater
Black-and-white Seedeater (Sporophila luctuosa) Male
Recinto del Pensamiento, Manizales, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Black-and-white Seedeater
Black-and-white Seedeater (Sporophila luctuosa) Female
Butterfly World, Florida, USA  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Found in the Andes at mid altitude levels in semi-open areas. Locally common at best.

Great-billed Seed Finch
Great-billed Seed Finch (Sporophila maximiliani) Male Endangered
Mato Grosso, Brazil  
   
Photograph by Hector Bottai     Copyright and usage info


Ruddy-breasted Seedeater
Ruddy-breasted Seedeater (Sporophila minuta minuta) Male
Puerto Boyacá, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Ruddy-breasted Seedeater
Ruddy-breasted Seedeater (Sporophila minuta parva) Female
Sabaneta, Antioquia, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

As seen from the latin name minutus, a tiny seedeater that favors grass seeds.
Eating grass seeds

Yellow-bellied Seedeater
Yellow-bellied Seedeater (Sporophila nigricollis nigricollis) Male
Recinto del Pensamiento, Manizales, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Yellow-bellied Seedeater
Yellow-bellied Seedeater (Sporophila nigricollis nigricollis) Female
Otún Quimbaya Wildlife Sanctuary, Pereira, Risaralda, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.


Plumbeous Seedeater
Plumbeous Seedeater (Sporophila plumbea whiteleyana) Male
French Guiana  
   
Photograph by Michel GIRAUD-AUDINE   © All Rights Reserved.

Plumbeous Seedeater
Plumbeous Seedeater (Sporophila plumbea whiteleyana) Female
El Oso, Bolivar, Venezuela  
   
Photograph by Fernando Flores     Copyright and usage info

Note dark bill compared to similar species.

Slate-colored Seedeater
Slate-colored Seedeater (Sporophila schistacea schistacea) Male
Jaco, Puntarenas, Costa Rica  
   
Photograph by Jorge Obando Gutierrez   © Copyrighted, All Rights Reserved.

Slate-colored Seedeater
Slate-colored Seedeater (Sporophila schistacea longipennis) Female
Zafra Reserva Natural, Antioquia, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Note white eye-ring compared to very similar Grey Seedeater. Generally a lowland species. Not reliable (wanders), but often found in flocks at bamboo when seeds are present (HBW). Note smaller bill with more curved culmen than Grey Seedeater (hard to be sure about).
Female eating bamboo seed.


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