Appearance
It has a total length of approximately 11 cm. Adult males have a relatively heavy black bill. The upperparts are black, except for a greyish rump and two distinct white wing-bars. The underparts are white, except for a broad black pectoral collar and blackish mottling to the upper flanks. The far duller female has a brownish bill, dull buffy-olive upperparts and pale olive-ochre underparts. Juveniles resemble adult females.Naming
Formerly, it included the mainly Central American "Sporophila corvina" and the west Amazonian "S. murallae" as subspecies, in which case the combined species had the common name Variable Seedeater. Following the split, this common name is now restricted to "S. corvina".Habitat
It is found in open or semi-open grassy areas and shrub, usually in pairs or small flocks. As with other "Sporophila" seedeaters, it mainly feeds on seeds, but has also been observed taking flowers, buds and fruits.It remains fairly common in Suriname, French Guiana and parts of Brazil, and is therefore considered to be of least concern by BirdLife International and IUCN. It is rare to uncommon in Venezuela and Guyana where threatened by trapping for the wild bird trade.
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