Sporophila minuta
The Ruddy-breasted Seedeater (Sporophila minuta) is a diminutive yet striking passerine, renowned for its strong sexual dimorphism and vibrant male plumage. Males boast a distinctive sooty-black cap and upperparts contrasting sharply with a rich, rufous-chestnut breast and belly, while females are an inconspicuous plain buffy-brown, making them challenging to identify without a male counterpart. Averaging a mere 9.5-11 cm (3.7-4.3 inches) in length and weighing just 7-10 grams (0.25-0.35 oz),...
This seedeater thrives in open, disturbed habitats such as pastures, savannas, agricultural fields, and grassy clearings, often near water sources. It prefers low-lying elevations, typically below 1,500 meters (4,900 feet).
Primarily granivorous, feeding almost exclusively on small grass seeds, which they strip directly from seed heads. They occasionally supplement their diet with small insects, particularly when feeding young.
Ruddy-breasted Seedeaters are diurnal, primarily active during daylight hours, foraging and singing from exposed perches. They employ a 'stripping' foraging technique, using their small, conical bills to extract seeds directly from grass inflorescences, but also glean fallen seeds from the ground...
The Ruddy-breasted Seedeater enjoys a wide and generally continuous distribution across the Neotropics, extending from southern Mexico southeast through Central America to Panama. Its South American range encompasses northern Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas, and northern Brazil, extending south ...
Least Concern
- The Ruddy-breasted Seedeater is one of the smallest species within the diverse Sporophila genus, barely reaching 10 cm in length. - Males possess one of the most vividly contrasting plumages among all seedeater species, making identification relatively straightforward. - Despite its small size,...