The pearly–bellied seedeater is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae. It was lumped with the copper seedeater and known together as the capped seedeater before being split in February 2012.
Region
South-Central South America
Typical Environment
Occurs across southern Brazil, eastern Bolivia, Paraguay, and northern Argentina, favoring open grasslands and seasonally flooded meadows. It uses marsh edges, wet savannas, and campos with abundant seeding grasses. During the non-breeding season it wanders widely following grass seed availability, including agricultural fallows and pasturelands. Breeding typically takes place in native grasslands with scattered shrubs and near shallow wetlands for cover.
Altitude Range
0–1200 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
The pearly-bellied seedeater is a small grassland finch of the South American capuchino group, placed in the tanager family (Thraupidae). It was formerly lumped with the copper seedeater as the capped seedeater until being split in 2012. Males show a distinctive black cap contrasting with pale, pearly-gray underparts, while females are warm brown and more cryptic. Like several capuchinos, it is affected by trapping for the cage-bird trade and by loss of native grasslands.
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with low, undulating flights over grass
Social Behavior
Outside the breeding season it forms small, loose flocks that roam in response to seeding grasses. During breeding, males sing from exposed perches and defend small territories. Nests are shallow cups placed low in grasses or shrubs, and pairs are generally monogamous.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
The male’s song is a short series of thin, sweet trills and buzzy notes, delivered from a prominent perch. Calls include soft tsip notes and dry ticks given in flight or while foraging.
Plumage
Male with a glossy black cap, brownish upperparts, white to pearly-gray throat and belly, and clean, crisp contrasts; female is uniform warm brown with paler underparts and lacks the cap. Both sexes show a neat, smooth finch-like feathering without heavy streaking.
Diet
Primarily consumes small grass seeds from native and cultivated species, plucked directly from seed heads or gleaned from the ground. It occasionally supplements the diet with tender shoots and other small plant parts. In the breeding season, it may take a few small insects to feed chicks, but seeds remain dominant.
Preferred Environment
Forages in seeding grasslands, marsh margins, and damp pastures, often at the edges of wetlands with dense grass cover. It also uses roadside verges, fallows, and rice field margins when natural grass seed is abundant.
