Morelet’s Seedeater
Morelet's Seedeater
Sporophila morelleti
At a Glance
This tiny finch is abundant in Mexico and Central America, but it has had a checkered history in our area. In extreme southern Texas, the seedeater was common as recently as the 1940s, but by the mid-1970s it had all but vanished north of the border. In recent years it has reappeared in small numbers in the Falcon Dam area. Flocks of Morelet's Seedeaters feed low in rank weedy places, calling to each other in soft voices. They may roost in tall marsh growth along the Rio Grande. The surprisingly clear whistled song of the male is not often heard in our area.
All bird guide text and rangemaps adapted from Lives of North American Birds by Kenn Kaufman© 1996, used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Category
New World Sparrows, Perching Birds
IUCN Status
Least Concern
Habitat
Fields, Meadows, and Grasslands, Freshwater Wetlands, Shrublands, Savannas, and Thickets
Region
New England, Texas
Behavior
Flitter, Undulating
Population
14.000.000
Range & Identification
Migration & Range Maps
Apparently a permanent resident throughout its range. When the species was more common in Texas, the birds apparently would move around somewhat in flocks during the winter.
Description
4" (10 cm). Tiny, with very short stubby bill. Male has blackish cap, partial buffy collar, white wing spot and wing-bars. Female and young plainer buff, with fainter wing-bars. Note bill shape.
Size
About the size of a Sparrow
Color
Black, Brown, Tan, White, Yellow
Wing Shape
Broad
Tail Shape
Rounded, Square-tipped
Songs and Calls
Song a variable twee twee twee, chew chew; also a high tik-it.
Call Pattern
Falling, Flat
Call Type
Chirp/Chip, Trill, Whistle
Habitat
Weedy places, tall grass, brush. In Texas, found mainly in weedy overgrown fields or brushy open woods, typically close to water; may roost in tall marsh growth. Farther south in tropics, found in a wide variety of open habitats, from marshes and open grassy fields to brushy edges of woods.
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Behavior
Eggs
Probably 2-4. Pale blue to pale gray, with spots of brown often concentrated at the larger end. Incubation is probably by female only, about 13 days.
Young
Both parents feed the nestlings. Young leave the nest about 9-11 days after hatching.
Feeding Behavior
Forages in low growth or sometimes on the ground, clambering about among grasses and weeds, and plucking seeds from grass stalks. Occasionally will feed higher in dense bushes or low trees. Except in nesting season, almost always forages in flocks.
Diet
Seeds and insects. Diet probably includes many small seeds, especially those of grasses. Also probably feeds on a variety of small insects.
Nesting
Often nests in small colonies, with several pairs fairly close together. Male sings to defend nesting territory. Nest: In Texas, nests have been found in shrubs or in large weeds such as giant ragweed, usually 3-5' above the ground. Nest (probably built by female) is a small and compact open cup of grass, small twigs, rootlets, plant fibers, and plant down, sometimes with the addition of spiderwebs or animal hair.
Conservation
Conservation Status
Reasons for sharp decline in Texas are poorly understood. Still widespread and common in Mexico and Central America, and has probably increased in some areas with clearing of forest.