Morelet's Seedeater
Sporophila morelleti
Fairly common little bird of grassland and weedy areas in the tropical lowlands and foothills. Occurs from Texas to Panama. Often in flocks, mixing readily with other “weed-eating” small birds. Plumage is very variable, but all birds have a stubby dark bill with a curved culmen. Usually shows two whitish wingbars. Breeding plumage males with a black cap and bold white collar are usually outnumbered by female-plumaged birds, which are plain brownish, sometimes showing buffy wingbars.
Taxonomy
This species was formerly considered conspecific with the cinnamon-rumped seedeater (Sporophila torqueola), with the combined species known as white-collared seedeater. However, with the discovery that cinnamon-rumped and Morelet's are deeply divergent from one another genetically, don't intergrade, and aren't even each other's closest relatives within the genus, they are now treated as separate species.
- Scientific name
- Sporophila morelleti
- Authority
- (Bonaparte, 1850)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Genus
- Sporophila
Range and habitat
It ranges from a small area along the Rio Grande near San Ignacio, Texas in the United States south through eastern Mexico and Central America to Panama. It mainly inhabits tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands but can also be found in pastures, arable land, and heavily degraded former forests.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- rising
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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A common medium-sized bird of open forest, scrub, and gardens from the lowlands to middle elevations in the mountains. Male has black upperparts, throat, and chest, a white belly, and a prominent white mark in the wing. In the female, the black parts are replaced by gray, except for the wing, which remains black. Similar in size and color to Philippine Pied-Fantail, but has a white mark in the wing. Song is a pleasant, medium-pitched warbling. Also gives a short descending scratchy song, harsh rasping notes, or a pulsing, downslurred “chew! chew! chew!”
Taiwan Rosefinch
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Tiny hummingbird with a white rump band and rusty tail. Adult male is stunning, with a flowing, glittering green beard ending in white spots, an iridescent green face, and a small crest. Female and young male are much plainer than male, but they typically have a white throat with dark patch in the middle, and lack the buffy or rusty tones on the underparts shown by females of several similar species. Distinguished from female Peacock Coquette by lack of streaking on the throat. Inhabits humid lowland and foothill forest and is quite scarce in most of its range. It was previously considered to be a subspecies of Festive Coquette.
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