English          -           Double-collared seedeater 

Portuguese   -           Coleirinho

Latin              -           Sporophila caerulescens 

The Double-collared seedeater is a small bird (about the same size as a common sparrow) They are around 10 cm long and weigh around 10 g. The male has a gray head and back, a black-collared throat, paired with a black band just below, across the upper whitish breast. It has gray legs, a medium length tail, and the stout bill for eating seeds. The female is less colorful.

The Double-collared seedeater is found throughout the southern half of Brazil and in Bolivia, Peru, northern Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. They are mostly found in moist scrublands, but also in degraded patches of former forest, pastures, rural gardens and arable land. They are often found in rice paddies. This species occurs from sea level up to an altitude of around 2100 m. 

They mainly eat grass seeds and often take rice seeds from rice plantations. They also eat fruits. 

Double-collared seedeaters breed in October-May. The nest is a shallow cup made of grasses, rootlets and other plant fibres, placed in a tree or scrub a few metres above the ground. The female lays 2 eggs, which she incubates alone for 12 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 12-15 days after hatching. 

This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common. The population is suspected to be increasing as ongoing habitat degradation is creating new areas of suitable habitat.

The photos of the Double-collared seedeaters were taken at Alfredo Chaves, ES!