Blue-black Grassquit ( Volatinia jacarina )
- Sent by Rodrigo Girardi Santiago - 22/02/2007
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11 cm. The beak is grey. During the breeding season the male has bluish black feathers with white spots under the wings. When not breeding the feathers are black with white tips. The female is light brown. The subadult males are similar to the non-breeding adult but with the tip of the feather brown.
Distribution:
From Mexico to tropical South America.
Habitat:
Grasslands and open areas, sometimes inside cities.
Diet:
Feeds on seeds and insects.
Reproduction:
The male has a very typical breeding display. Perched in a branch it flies some 50cm upwards and comes back to the branch in a loop-like movement. During this display it shows its white feathers below the wings. When it finds a mate it builds a small nest on branches of bushes. The nest is made of dry grass and thin roots. The eggs (1 to 3) are incubated by the female while the male brings her food. Each female may have up to three broods a year.
Natural history:
When not breeding gathers in flocks of dozens of individuals, sometimes mixing with other seedeaters. In the south and southeast of Brazil it migrates northwards in the winter. The breeding display mentioned above may also be a territorial display.
