Morelet's Seedeater Identification

Breeding male

A small finchlike songbird with a short, thick, curved bill. Breeding males from southern Mexico to Panama often look largely black and white, with a black head, white throat and collar, black back, black wings with two white wingbars, black breast band, and white to buffy underparts.

Breeding male

Male breeding plumage is variable. Some males from southern Mexico to Panama are black and white, while others have varying amounts of buff below.

Breeding male

A small finchlike songbird with a short, thick, curved bill. Breeding males are variable, but individuals from southern Mexico to Panama have a black head, broad white crescent under the eye, thick black breast band, and often white (sometimes buffy) underparts.

Female

Female is buffy below and brownish olive above, with two white wingbars on dark gray wings, and a pale bill.

Nonbreeding male

Nonbreeding male is similar to female, but with blackish wings and a prominent white spot at the base of the primaries.

Female/immature male

Female is brownish overall, darker above than below. Note the small body size, thick curved bill, and buffy wingbars.

Breeding male

Rarely found on the ground, instead staying in trees, shrubs, or the tops of grass seedheads.

Breeding male

Some breeding males are a crisp black and white, with the black head and breast band contrasting with the white throat and white underparts.

Feeds mainly on seeds and insects. Typically perches on a grass stalk and then extracts seeds.

Female

Female is buffy below, with a pale, thick, curved bill.

Typically perches on grass stems to feed on seedheads.

See more images of this species in Macaulay Library

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Identification

Fairly common little bird of grassland and weedy areas in the tropical lowlands and foothills. Occurs from Texas to Panama. Often in flocks, mixing readily with other “weed-eating” small birds. Plumage is very variable, but all birds have a stubby dark bill with a curved culmen. Usually shows two whitish wingbars. Breeding plumage males with a black cap and bold white collar are usually outnumbered by female-plumaged birds, which are plain brownish, sometimes showing buffy wingbars.

Relative Size

About the same size as Blue-black Grassquit.

Size chart showing sparrow to goose sized

Measurements

Both Sexes
- Length: 4.3 in (11 cm)
- Weight: 0.2-0.4 oz (6.3-12 g)

Regional Differences

Adult male breeding plumage varies both within and between subspecies. Breeding males in Texas and northeastern Mexico (subspecies sharpei) have a white throat, white to buffy underparts, a grayish-brown back with black mottling, a narrow white crescent under the eye, and lack a full black breast band. Breeding males from southern Mexico to Panama (subspecies morelleti) generally have a complete black breast band, a blacker back, a broad white crescent under the eye, and either a white or black throat.