Morelet's Seedeater (Sporophila morelleti)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Sporophila ("seed loving") morelleti (for naturalist Pierre Morelet)

 

Female Morelet's Seedeater (Sporophila morelleti) at Tarcoles, Costa Rica - November 2025

Featured Subspecies: Sporophila morelleti morelleti
Weight: 6-12g  /  Length: 9.5-11cm  /  Wingspan: ?
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The most northerly ranging member of the seedeaters being found up to to the Rio Grande along the Southern US border. Interestingly, while as adults they live up to their name as seedeaters, they primarily feed their chicks insects as a higher protein food source to help them grow, who then switch to seeds on fledging.
 
Related Species: 
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Thraupidae
Genus: Sporophila
SUBSPECIES: S. m. sharpei, S. m. morelleti
 
- Sighting Locations -

COSTA RICA - Spanish - Semillero de Morelet
A widespread resident of lowlands
- COSTA RICA 2025 TRIP: Seen at Tarcoles 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Variable Seedeater (Sporophila corvina)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Sporophila ("seed loving") corvina ("raven black")

 

Male Variable Seedeater (Sporophila corvina) at Tarcoles, Costa Rica - November 2025

Featured Subspecies: Sporophila corvina hoffmannii
Weight: 11g  /  Length: 10.5cm  /  Wingspan: ?
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A small member of the tanager family, the seedfinches as a group have evolved into a very finchlike form. As the other half of the name suggests, they are visually quite distinct acoss the range, with males ranging from almost entirely black to various levels of black and white. It was formerly considered part of a much broader species under the same name, but unusually, while the variable seedeater retained the common name, the then binomial Sporophila americana went to the wing-barred seedeater.
 
Related Species: 
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Thraupidae
Genus: Sporophila
SUBSPECIES: S. c. corvina, S. c. hoffmannii, S. c. hicksii, S. c. ophthalmica
 
- Sighting Locations -

COSTA RICA - Spanish - Semillero variable

Common resident of lowlands
- COSTA RICA 2025 TRIP: Seen at Tarcoles 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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