GrassquitsBlue-black GrassquitVolatinia jacarina
- ORDER: Passeriformes
- FAMILY: Thraupidae
Basic Description
The Blue-black Grassquit is a tiny acrobat that puts on a show along fencerows from Mexico to northern Argentina. Iridescent blue males pop straight up from song perches, reveal hidden white wing patches, nod their heads in midair, and then give a short, buzzy song just before returning to their perch. Bluish males and streaky brown females are common in weedy fields and open habitats, where they sometimes form flocks of up to a few hundred individuals during the nonbreeding season.
More ID InfoOther Names
- Semillero Volatinero (Spanish)
- Jacarini noir (French)
- Cool Facts
- Both parts of Blue-black Grassquit’s scientific name (Volatinia jacarina) refer to males’ conspicuous display. Volatinia is derived from the Spanish word for “acrobatic,” while jacarina comes from a Tupí name from Brazil meaning “she who flies up and down.”