Lesson's seedeater facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lesson's seedeater
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Thraupidae
Genus:	Sporophila
Species:	S. bouvronides
Binomial name
Sporophila bouvronides (Lesson, 1831)
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The Lesson's seedeater (Sporophila bouvronides) is a small bird. It is part of the family called Thraupidae.

You can find this bird in many countries. These include Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. In 2021, someone even reported seeing a Lesson's seedeater in Quebec, Canada! These birds like to live in places with shrubs or in forests that have been changed by people.

What Does It Look Like?

The Lesson's seedeater is a tiny bird. It is about 10.5 to 11 centimeters long. That's about the size of a sparrow!

Male Lesson's seedeaters have a mostly black head. They also have a big white mark on their cheeks, like a mustache. Female Lesson's seedeaters look different. They have an olive-brown back. Their belly is a pale yellowish color. They also have a dull yellow beak.

Where They Live and What They Do

Most Lesson's seedeaters live in open marshlands. They also like disturbed habitats with long grass. These places are often near water. Sometimes, you can see them in groups. They eat grass seeds.

Their natural homes are in warm, wet shrublands. They also live in forests that have been changed a lot by humans. Lesson's seedeaters are similar to lined seedeaters. However, male Lesson's seedeaters do not have a white stripe on their head. The females of both species look almost the same. It is hard to tell them apart unless they are with a male. You can often tell female Lesson's seedeaters from other seedeaters by their strong yellowish belly. They also have a small, dull yellow beak.