Description: A large seedeater about 18 cm long, robust, with an orange to yellow-orange bill. Male: dark gray with black head, face, throat, and chest; back gray with dark streaking; belly and undertail coverts white. Two very visible white wingbars, a distinctive feature. Female: grayish brown, heavily streaked above; well-marked cinnamon cheeks bordered by a whitish mustache and dark malar; white wingbars present. The cinnamon cheek patch is diagnostic. Juvenile: similar to the female, duller; juvenile males with darker face and dusky gray throat. Similar species: • Band-tailed Seedeater (R. alaudina): Shows a white tail band in flight (absent in this species) and lacks wingbars. Smaller, with more yellowish bill and legs. • Carbon Seedeater (R. carbonaria): Smaller and darker; males blacker and more uniform, including a black belly and no wingbars; females lack cinnamon cheeks.
Distribution: Andes from Peru and Bolivia southward, and across much of Chile and Argentina. In Argentina found from the northwest (Salta, Jujuy, Tucumán, Catamarca) south to Patagonia (Neuquén to Santa Cruz), including Cuyo and sectors of the Andean foothills. Occurs from sea level in the Patagonian steppe to 3,600–4,000 m in high-Andean areas. Resident across most of its range; southern populations migrate north and east in winter, occasionally reaching northeastern Buenos Aires Province.
Habitat: Open arid and semi-arid environments: shrublands (piquillín, calafate), cactus zones, montane scrub, open grasslands with scattered shrubs, Andean slopes with shrub cover, Patagonian steppe, and crop edges in winter.
Behavior: Very terrestrial; forages on the ground in pairs or groups. In winter forms large flocks, often mixed with other seedeaters, sierra-finches, sparrows, and diucas. The male sings from shrubs or during a descending aerial display from about 4–10 m, with wings and tail spread. Song is loud, rough, and buzzing.
Diet: Mainly seeds, supplemented with arthropods and small fruits.
Reproduction: Nest in low, dense shrubs; a loose cup built with grasses and soft materials. Clutch of 2–3 greenish eggs with olive spots.
Conservation status: Not threatened. Common across most of its wide range.
Authors of this compilation: Diego Carus and Maria Belén Dri – 06/12/2025