Nombre en español: Espiguero de Caquetá
Nombre en inglés: Caqueta Seedeater
Nombre científico: Sporophila murallae
Familia: Thraupidae
El espiguero de Caquetá o semillero de Caquetá (Sporophila murallae) es una especie de ave paseriforme de la familia Thraupidae propia de la cuenca occidental del Amazonas, en el sureste de Colombia, este de Ecuador, noreste de Perú y extremo occidental de Brasil (Acre occidental y solamente Amazonas).
Descripción
Tiene una longitud total de aproximadamente 11 cm (4 ½ pulgadas). Los machos adultos tienen un pico negro relativamente pesado. Las partes superiores son de color negro, a excepción de una grupa gris (en realidad, blanco con rayado finamente negro, pero solo es visible de cerca), unas barras blancas en las alas y un pequeño espéculo blanco de la ala. Las partes inferiores son de color blanco, a excepción de unas bandas irregulares de color negro en el pecho (a menudo incompleto) y de color grisáceo moteado en los flancos. Algunos individuos muestran un malar negro. Las hembras son de tonos más apagados, tienen un pico café, dorso mate de beige oliva pálido y sus partes inferiores de oliva ocre. Los jóvenes se parecen a las hembras adultas.
Ecología
Se encuentran en zonas húmedas cubiertas de hierba en áreas abiertas o semiabiertas y arbustos, en especial a lo largo de los bordes de ríos o lagos. Normalmente se le ve en parejas o pequeñas bandadas. Al igual que otros semilleros Sporophilas, que se alimenta principalmente de semillas, también se ha registrado la alimentación de tallos, hojas y frutos (por ejemplo Cecropia).
Caquetá seedeater
The Caquetá seedeater (Sporophila murallae) is a passerine bird from the western Amazon Basin in south-eastern Colombia, eastern Ecuador, north-eastern Peru and far western Brazil (western Acre and Amazonas only). The status in south-eastern Peru is unclear. Together with the mainly Central American S. corvina, it was formerly considered a subspecies of S. americana, in which case the common name for the combined species was variable seed eater. Following the split, this common name is now restricted to S. corvina.
Description
It has a total length of approximately 11 cm (4 1⁄4 in). Adult males have a relatively heavy black bill. The upper parts are black, except for a greyish rump (actually white finely streaked black, but only visible up-close), a white wing-bars and a small white wing-speculum. The underparts are white, except for an irregular black chest-band (often incomplete) and greyish mottling to the flanks. Some individuals show a black malar. The far duller female has a brownish bill, dull buffy-olive upper parts and pale olive-ochre underparts. Juveniles resemble adult females.
Ecology
Found in humid open or semi-open grassy areas and shrub; especially along edges of rivers or lakes. Usually seen in pairs or small flocks. As other Sporophila seedeaters, it mainly feeds on seeds, but has also been recorded feeding on stems, leaves and fruits (e.g. Cecropia).
It was only recently accepted as a species distinct from S. corvina and S. murallae by the South American Classification Committee, and its status was first evaluated for the IUCN Red List in 2008, being listed as Species of Least Concern. It is fairly common throughout a large part of its range, and is likely to benefit from the widespread forest-clearance within its range. Overall, it in not threatened, but the capture for the wild bird trade could present a problem in the future (as is known from several other Sporophila seedeaters).
Fuentes: Wikipedia/eBird/xeno-canto
