Lesser Grass-Finch

The Lesser Grass-finch is one of our more common birds.  It resides and breeds in the long grassy areas that we maintain for our Strange-tailed Tyrants and is also associated with water.

It has a grating, chattering call which is quite different from the other Emberizoides species that we occasionally see.

It measures around 16cm, has a plumbaceous face with yellow mandible and black culmen.  The upperparts are olive with heavy black streaks and greenish coverts.  Underparts are pale whitish.  The tail is long and spiny.