The great-billed seed finch (Sporophila maximiliani ) is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist shrubland, swamps, and heavily degraded former forest. They are found in two separate general populations, one in the northern Amazon rainforest and the other in the Cerrado. They live in flooded areas with nests low to the ground. The adults express strong sexual dimorphism. Males are black with white under wing-coverts and ivory white bills, and the females are generally light brown with white under wing-coverts and black bills. Both the male and female have very large, thick bills. The great-billed seed finch has a melodious call, which has made it a target for trapping.
Although the population is quickly declining due to trapping and loss of habitat, not much is known about its behavior and ecology.
Seed predation, often referred to as granivory, is a type of plant-animal interaction in which granivores (seed predators) feed on the seeds of pla...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
A territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe great-billed seed finch is sexually dimorphic. They have an extremely large and thick bill, that is chalky white in males and black in females. The beak volume is about 840mm³. The males are black with white or white and black under wing-coverts. The females have a warm brown back and a buffy brown belly with white under wing-coverts. The females are very similar to other adult females of the Sporophila genus. Both the male and female great-billed seed finch are very similar in appearance to the male and female large-billed seed finch. It is a medium-sized finch at around 14.5-16.5 cm in length. The juvenile is similar in appearance to the female. Sexual dimorphism presents itself in males when they begin to sing. The male juvenile eventually moults its black feathers, having a patchy appearance for several months until it is fully black.
Due to their similarity with other species, sexual dimorphism, and juvenile appearance, great-billed seed finches can be very difficult to identify morphologically.
The eggs of the great-billed seed finch are grayish white with black blotches and light brown spots.
The great-billed seed finch exists in two separate populations in South America. The southern population is found in the Cerrado and in the Cerrado enclaves into the transition zones in Atlantic Forest. The northern population is found in the northern Amazon rainforest.
The great-billed seed finch is specialized to live in humid environments and is often associated with flooded areas and marshy borders.
The great-billed seed finch is predominantly granivorous and feeds mainly on seeds of many Cyperaceae species. They are usually found in pairs. Not much more is known.
Breeding season generally begins around November or December during spring and summer in central and southern Brazil and extends until the end of February or early March. Breeding in the great-billed seed finch is stimulated by the first torrential rains of spring. The spring rains cause the fruiting of the Cyperaceae species, which then produce mature seeds in the middle of the rainy season. During breeding season, the seed finch is especially territorial and aggressive. Their nests are cup-shaped and anywhere from one to three meters high. They lay eggs in clutch sizes of two to three eggs which are incubated by the female.
It is rare to uncommon. The population size is decreasing and there is estimated to be anywhere from 1000-2499 individuals. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) considers the species to be a species that is endangered globally.
