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Lined Seedeater | Sporophila lineola
Witsterdikbekje | Semillero lineado | Bigodinho
The Lined Seedeater is a small black-and-white seedeater that breeds in eastern and southern South America and moves north in the austral winter, as far as Amazonia and the llanos. The male is the only black-and-white seedeater with a white crown stripe, the 'line' of its name. In the guide area it is mainly a winter visitor to the lowlands east of the Andes.
Voice
The song is a short series of harsh, somewhat buzzy notes, sometimes followed by a dry trill. The call is a short chip. On the wintering grounds the species sings little.
Recording: JAYRSON ARAUJO DE OLIVEIRA — CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · xeno-canto
Identification
10–11 cm, with a short, thick bill, black in the male. The male is black above, with a narrow white crown stripe, a broad white malar stripe along a black throat, a white wing speculum and a white rump; the underparts are white. The female is olive-brown above and paler buff-brown below, with a dark bill that is paler at the base. Young males at first resemble the female.
Confusion species
Male Lesson's Seedeater Sporophila bouvronides lacks the white crown stripe; females of the two species cannot be separated with certainty in the field. Yellow-bellied Seedeater Sporophila nigricollis has a black head without white stripes and yellowish underparts. Double-collared Seedeater Sporophila caerulescens is grey above, with a black breast band. Females of other seedeaters, such as White-bellied Seedeater Sporophila leucoptera, are larger and often have a paler bill.
Habitat
Grassland, rank growth, scrub and forest edges, often near water; in Amazonia mainly in tall grass on river banks and river islands and in clearings with scrub. Mostly below 1000 m. It eats mainly grass seeds. The nest is a small cup low in scrub.
Where the bird is most at home, classified by the vegetation units of the Andes and the west coast.
Range and movements
In Colombia, Ecuador and Peru a winter visitor to the lowlands east of the Andes, in Colombia also to the llanos. In Bolivia a winter visitor to the lowlands; in the east possibly also a breeding bird. Absent from the Galápagos. Outside the guide area the species breeds mainly in eastern and central Brazil, Paraguay and north-eastern Argentina; in the austral winter it moves as far as Venezuela and the Guianas.
- Resident
- Summer visitor (c. Apr–Sep)
- Winter visitor (c. Oct–Mar)
- Passage (Mar–Apr, Oct–Nov)
- dark = core range, pale = thinly spread
How and when to look
From April to October, search the Amazonian lowlands on river islands and in tall grass along rivers, where mixed seedeater flocks feed. On males, look for the white crown stripe.
Conservation status
Least Concern. The species is widespread and benefits from open habitats; trapping for the cage-bird trade plays a role in parts of the breeding range.
Scientific name
Sporophila lineola | (Linnaeus, 1758)
Linnaeus described the species in 1758 as Loxia lineola; because it was later moved to another genus, the author and year stand in brackets. The genus Sporophila was introduced in 1844 by Cabanis. The genus name combines Greek sporos, 'seed', and philos, 'fond of'. The species name comes from Latin lineola, 'little line', for the white crown stripe. The specimen the first description was based on came from Bahia, Brazil.