PIXOXÓ (AS KNOWN IN BRAZIL)

Sporophila frontalis

The Buffy-Fronted Seedeater is a small, unassuming, and singing bird. It's also known as chanchão, xexéu, catatau, chachá, and estalador, in Brazil. It measures about 4,9 inches in length and weighs between 0,6 and 0,7 ounces. Its plumage is predominantly light olive-green or beige on the upper parts, with two yellowish-white wing bars. Its head has darker tones on the forehead and pale post-ocular eyebrows. It's easily identified by its unmistakable vocalization, which resembles the sound of a strong electric pulse.

It's granivorous and enjoys feeding on the seeds of the taquaruçu plant. Each brood usually contains between 2 and 3 eggs, with 2 to 4 broods per season. The chicks hatch after 13 days.

It's often found in bamboo thickets of the Atlantic Forest. Although rare, it can become locally abundant during the fruiting of bamboo. It inhabits dense forest interiors, bamboo thickets, and cultivated lands such as rice fields. In Brazil, it can be found from southern Bahia to Rio Grande do Sul.