Sporophila nuttingi
The Nicaraguan Seed Finch (*Sporophila nuttingi*) is a strikingly dimorphic passerine bird belonging to the Thraupidae family, often misidentified as a 'true finch' due to its name. Males are visually arresting, featuring glossy black upperparts, head, and breast, which sharply contrast with a vibrant rufous-chestnut lower breast, belly, and undertail coverts; a small buffy or ochraceous patch may also adorn the chin and upper throat. Females, in stark contrast, exhibit a muted olive-brown pl...
This species primarily inhabits humid lowland areas, favoring tall grassy fields, marshy scrubland, and forest edges, often found near water sources, typically from sea level up to 500 meters elevation.
Primarily feeds on small grass seeds and other herbaceous plants, supplemented occasionally with small insects, foraging by gleaning from vegetation or the ground.
The Nicaraguan Seed Finch is a diurnal bird, spending much of its time foraging low in dense vegetation or on the ground, adeptly gleaning seeds from grass stalks or fallen on the ground. During the breeding season, males are highly territorial, asserting their dominance through persistent and el...
The Nicaraguan Seed Finch is a resident species found primarily on the Caribbean slope of Central America. Its distribution spans from southeastern Nicaragua, across the eastern lowlands of Costa Rica, and into the extreme western part of Panama, specifically within the Bocas del Toro province. I...
Least Concern
- Despite its common name, the Nicaraguan Seed Finch is not a 'true finch' (family Fringillidae) but rather a member of the tanager family (Thraupidae). - The male's strikingly contrasting black and rufous-chestnut plumage is one of the most vibrant among the diverse *Sporophila* seedeaters. - It...