White-collared Seedeater

Overview

White-collared Seedeater: Small finch with short, thick, curved bill, yellow-gray overall with black head, wings, and round tail; the back is gray. Wings show two white bars. Eats seeds and insects. Weak fluttering flight, alternates rapid wing beats with brief periods of wings pulled to the sides.

Range and Habitat

White-collared Seedeater: Native of Mexico and Central America with a small nesting range in southern Texas.

INTERESTING FACTS

The White-collared Seedeater was first described in 1850 by Charles Bonaparte, a French naturalist and ornithologist who was the nephew of Napoleon.
Habitat destruction and the use of agrochemicals are thought to be the main causes of this decline.
Historically in the United States, this species was considered common and ranged widely throughout the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, but since the 1960s it has been found only in Zapata and Starr Counties. A group of seedeaters are collectively known as an "eatery" of seedeaters.

The White-collared Seedeater is a passerine bird, and is a member of the Sporophila genus. The natural range for this species spans from an area on the Rio Grande near San Ignacio, Texas in the United States to Mexico, Central America and Panama. Preferred habitats include tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas and shrubby areas. However, these birds may also be found in pastures, farmland and degraded former forests. Nests are built on the ground under low vegetation, and diets consist of seeds, insects, invertebrates and farm crops. The conservation rating for the White-collared Seedeater is currently Least Concern.