Black-breasted Seedeater (Sporophila ophthalmica)

Hitherto treated as conspecific with S. corvina (and formerly with S. americana) under the name “Variable Seedeater”, but separated here on account of its black-and-white vs all-black plumage in male (4); notably paler overall ochre-brown plumage in female, with paler area on central belly (1); reportedly more musical song, “aurita” being described as “a much better, sweeter singer than the Caribbean corvina”#R (allow 2); narrow hybrid zone near Canal Zone of Panama involving race hicksii, resulting in hybrids to which the name “aurita” applies (2); and possible habitat difference, frequenting “dense thickety stands along the edge of woodland” vs “largely in the open and semi-open”#R (ns). From Colombia, proposed race anchicayae (described from R Anchicayá, in Valle) is a hybrid between race hicksii of present species and race bogotensis of S. intermedia, and chocoana (from Nuquí, in Chocó) is considered inseparable from hicksii. Three subspecies recognized.