Blue-black Grassquit
Volatinia jacarina
The Blue-black Grassquit (Volatinia jacarina) is a common tanager found in 26 countries, weighing about 10 g. The blue-black grassquit is a small Neotropical bird in the tanager family, Thraupidae.
About the Blue-black Grassquit
The blue-black grassquit is a small Neotropical bird in the tanager family, Thraupidae. It is the only member of the genus Volatinia. It is a common and widespread bird that breeds from southern Mexico through Central America, and South America as far as northern Chile, Argentina, and Paraguay, and in Trinidad and Tobago. A male was also observed in Graham County, Arizona, on July 15 and July 17, 2023.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
Adult blue-black grassquits are 10.2 cm (4.0 in) long and weigh 9.3 g (0.33 oz). They have a slender conical black bill. The male is glossy blue-black, with a black tail and wings; the white inner underwing is visible in flight or display. Female and immature birds have brown upperparts and dark-streaked buff underparts.
What the Blue-black Grassquit sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in United States.
When to see it
The Blue-black Grassquit can be seen all year round, with peak activity in October. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Blue-black Grassquit?
- Adult blue-black grassquits are 10.2 cm (4.0 in) long and weigh 9.3 g (0.33 oz). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Blue-black Grassquit?
- The Blue-black Grassquit is a tiny sized bird weighing about 10 g.
- Where can you see a Blue-black Grassquit?
- The Blue-black Grassquit occurs in 26 countries, including Colombia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico and Belize.
- What does a Blue-black Grassquit sound like?
- You can listen to 3 field recordings of the Blue-black Grassquit on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Blue-black Grassquit?
- The Blue-black Grassquit is most easily confused with the Sayaca Tanager, the Buff-throated Saltator and the Yellow-faced Grassquit.
- Is the Blue-black Grassquit endangered?
- The Blue-black Grassquit is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Blue-black Grassquit for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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