Black-faced Grassquit Article Index for
Black-faced
 

Information About

Black-faced Grassquit




  Name Black-faced Grassquit
  Regnum Animal ia
  Phylum Chordata
  Classis Aves
  Ordo Passeriformes
  Familia Emberizidae
  Genus '' Tiaris ''
  Species '''''T bicolor'''''
  Binomial ''Tiaris bicolor''
  Binomial Authority ( Linnaeus , 1766 )


The Black-faced Grassquit, ''Tiaris bicolor'', is a small Bird of the family Emberizidae , which also includes the Buntings . It breeds in the West Indies except Cuba , on Tobago but not Trinidad , and along the northern coasts of Colombia and Venezuela .

This is a common bird in long grass or scrub in open or semi-open areas, including roadsides and Rice fields. It makes a domed grass nest, lined with finer grasses, and placed low in a bush or on a bank. The typical clutch is two or three whitish eggs blotched with reddish brown. Both sexes build the nest and feed the young.

Adult Black-faced Grassquits are 10.2cm long and weigh 10.5g. They have a short conical black bill with an obvious curve to the culmen. The male is olive green above, paler grey-olive below, and has a black head and breast. Female and immature birds have dull olive-grey upperparts and head, and paler grey underparts becoming whiter on the belly.

Males on the South America n mainland have more extensively black underparts, shading to a grey belly.

The Black-faced Grassquit feeds mainly on seeds, especially of grasses and weeds. It is often found in small groups, but is solitary at evening roosts.

The male has a display flight in which he flies for short distances, vibrating his wings and giving a buzzing ''dik-zeezeezee'' call.


References

  • ''Birds of Venezuela'' by Hilty, ISBN 0-7136-6418-5

  • ''Birds of Trinidad and Tobago'' by ffrench, ISBN 0-7136-6759-1