Black-faced Grassquit Melanospiza bicolor Scientific name definitions

Black-faced Grassquit is a small passerine (ca 10 g) that is found mainly in the Caribbean, north to the Bahamas, and south to northernmost South America, particularly in coastal sites. It is also found on Tobago, but not Trinidad. The male has a black face, throat, breast and belly that contrasts with a grass-green back; older males may have more extensive black. The female is dull brown and lacks field marks. This grassquit has a relatively rounded body, a short tail, and a thick but very short bill. It specializes in eating grass seeds, and often forages in grassy lawns and fields. On smaller and lighter grasses, they may bend the seed head to the ground and forage on it in that manner. This niche of feeding on grass seed while still on the stems also is used by Sporophila seedeaters, and in the Old World by various Lonchura mannikins. Black-faced Grassquit belongs to a group of seed-eating tanagers that are closely related to Darwin's finches of the Galapagos Islands. Interestingly enough some Black-faced Grassquits feed on cactus fruit in the Netherland Antilles, as do the cactus-finches on the Galapagos.

10·2–11·5 cm; 7–13 g (1 Russell, S. M., J. C. Barlow, and D. W. Lamm (1979). Status of some birds on Isla San Andres and Isla Providencia, Colombia. Condor 81(1):98–1119119. Close ). Small, relatively short-tailed emberizid. Male nominate race has black head, throat and most of underparts, with dark greenish flanks posteriorly; upperparts, including upperwing and tail, greenish; iris dark; bill black, gape becoming vivid pink during breeding season; legs dusky pinkish. Female is drab olive-green, somewhat browner or greyer below; dark upper mandible and paler lower mandible, bare parts otherwise much as on male. Juvenile is like female. Races differ mainly in size and plumage coloration: omissus is like nominate, but smaller; marchii is similar to previous, but male has black on underparts confined to anterior half; grandior is like omissus, but much larger and brighter olive-green above; huilae is paler brownish-olive above, with paler greyish flanks; johnstonei is blackest race, with upperparts, wings and tail brighter olive-green than nominate; sharpei is similar, but paler; tortugensis is paler still than last, greyish-olive above.

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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.

Open, dry areas of acacia (Acacia) and cactus scrub with grasses and shrubs in forest clearings, along roads, urban areas, and plantations and gardens; in Netherlands Antilles occurs in manchineel (Hippomane mancinella) bushes and mangroves; on Curaçao, present even high in the Sint Christoffel Hills. Sea-level to 860 m.

Resident. Some limited dispersal; vagrant in SE USA (S Florida; fewer than ten records), apparently involving nominate race from Bahamas.

Feeds almost exclusively on seeds; in Netherlands Antilles also on fruit (or possibly seeds) of large candle cactus (Lemaireocereus). Forages generally near ground. Singly and in pairs; often found in small groups. May roost communally in large numbers.

Song an emphatic buzz, “tse-tsee-tsee-tsizzle-tsizzle”, or a weak, buzzing series, “dik-zeezeezee” or “tzit-tzweeee”. Call note a soft “tsip”.

Breeds throughout year in West Indies, Apr–Jun in Cuba; in rainy season, Jun–Jan, in Tobago. Nests in small colonies or loose groups. Male sometimes performs aerial song display, rapidly vibrating wings and drifting downwards. Nest a globular mass of grasses with entrance on side or bottom, placed on ground among Opuntia cacti or up to 2·5 m up in small bush. Clutch 2–4 eggs, dull white, marked with pale reddish-brown at large end. No other information.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Often common in appropriate habitat. Fairly common in Colombia and Venezuela; very rare in Cuba, where found only on Cayo Tío Pepe and other small islands off N coast. Although still common, has apparently declined in number in Netherlands Antilles.