Large-billed Seed-Finch Sporophila crassirostris Scientific name definitions

The Large-billed Seed-Finch occurs in the lowlands of north, west and east Colombia, where it may be expanding its range following deforestation, over much of Venezuela, the Guianas, Amazonian Brazil north of the Amazon, Ecuador, and north-east Peru; it appears to have been extirpated on Trinidad, from where there are only undocumented reports in recent years. It inhabits freshwater marshes, riparian thickets and second-growth scrub, and is generally found below 700 m. Males are almost entirely black with a white wing speculum, obvious both perched and in flight, and a chalky white, extremely large, broad-based bill, while females are brown above, becoming buffy-brown over the underparts, but no pale wing speculum; the somewhat less massive bill is dark. The species’ population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing trapping pressure for the cagebird trade, and it is now generally uncommon and patchily distributed. Despite the Large-billed Seed-Finch’s wide range, very little is known concerning the species’ natural history, in large part because its numbers are already so depleted over much of its distribution.

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Alvaro began birding as an 11 year old in Canada, and eventually trained in Evolutionary Ecology studying, creatures as varied as leaf-cutter ants and Argentine cowbirds. But his career has been focused on birding tourism, both as a guide and owner of his tour company, as well as a avitourism consultant to various organizations. He is the author of Birds of Chile, New World Blackbirds: The Icterids, as well as the ABA Field Guide to the birds of California. He lives in Half Moon Bay, California where he is known for his pelagic birding trips. Email: alvaro@alvarosadventures.com.