Black-faced Grassquit
Melanospiza bicolor
Small sparrowlike bird found in the Caribbean and northern South America. Males are dull olive above with a variable amount of black on the face and breast. Females are plain grayish-olive overall; note the small size, short tail, and pinkish bill and legs. Very similar to female Sooty Grassquit. Found in pairs or small groups in shrubby or grassy areas and forest edge, typically on or near the ground.
Identification
A male black-faced grassquits is around 10 cm (3.9 in) long and weighs approximately 10 g (0.35 oz). It has a short conical black bill, a black head and breast with an olive green back. Females and immature birds have dull olive-grey upperparts and head, and paler grey underparts becoming whiter on the belly.<p>Males on the South American mainland have more extensively black underparts, shading to a grey belly.[citation needed]<p>The male has a display flight in which he flies for short distances, vibrating his wings and giving a buzzing dik-zeezeezee call.
Taxonomy
The first formal description of the black-faced grassquit was by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1766 in the twelfth edition of his Systema Naturae. He introduced the binomial name Fringilla bicolor. Linnaeus based his description on the "Bahama Sparrow" that was described and illustrated by Mark Catesby in his The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands which was published between 1729 and 1732. The black-faced grassquit was traditionally placed in the genus Tiaris. A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2014 found that this genus was polyphyletic and that the black-faced grassquit was closely related to the Saint Lucia black finch in the monospecific genus Melanospiza. In the resulting reorganization of the genera, the black-faced grassquit was moved to Melanospiza.<p>Eight subspecies are recognised:
- Scientific name
- Melanospiza bicolor
- Authority
- (Linnaeus, 1766)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Passerellidae
- Genus
- Melanospiza
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
This is a common bird in long grass or scrub in open or semi-open areas, including roadsides and ricefields. It makes a domed grass nest, lined with finer grasses, and placed low in a bush or on a bank. The typical clutch is two or three whitish eggs blotched with reddish brown.<p>The black-faced grassquit feeds mainly on seeds, especially of grasses and weeds, occasionally on fruits and berries. It also feeds on small insects, mainly during the breeding season. It is often found in small groups.
Conservation
- Population trend
- rising
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Wallacean Cuckooshrike
Coracina personata
A large, heavy-billed songbird. Highly variable. In the Kai islands and western Lesser Sundas, plumage is uniform blackish-gray; on Sumba, birds are pale gray above with an all-black tail, black face, and white belly; and in the eastern lesser Sundas, darker slaty-gray above with a black face mask. Singles and pairs frequent many habitats including forest, edge, woodland, and savanna, from lowlands into mountains. Large size and very heavy bill of all forms distinguishes them from all cicadabirds. On Sumba, entirely black tail, lacking white, rules out Black-faced Cuckooshrike. In other areas, Wallacean is separated from Black-faced by the absence of a clean white belly, the darker upperparts, and the less distinct black face. Gives nasal, squabbling, and upslurred buzzy notes.
Sharp-tailed Starling
Lamprotornis acuticaudus
Iridescent green, slim-looking glossy starling. The eye is red in males and orange in females. Although the wedge-shaped tail is distinctive when clearly seen, it’s often not obvious in the field. Uncommon and local in miombo and Zambezi teak broadleaf woodland. Usually in small flocks. The song is a chattering jumble, and the call is an upslurred “sweeit.” Can look very similar to other glossy starlings, but separated by the wedge-shaped tail, the more elongated overall shape, and the lack of purple or blue in the plumage.
White-bearded Hermit
Phaethornis hispidus
Large gray and green hermit of understory rainforest. Gray below, green above with gray rump and white long central tail feathers. Fairly long, slightly downcurved bill, and prominent white throat and moustache. Sexes similar. Similar to Great-billed Hermit, which is more tawny brown overall (not gray), and has a red or orange lower mandible (not yellow). Found in a variety of lowland rainforest habitats; most common around forest edges, along rivers, and around heliconias.
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