Behavior

Locomotion: Flight is short and buzzy (Hilty and Brown 1986).

Foraging: In a mixed flock, over bare ground, it hops, searching for seeds. The Yellow-faced Grassquit forages perched from grass stems in which it is eating, occasionally using their feet to hold the tip of the blade (Wetmore et al. 1984). When grass seeds become scarce, the Yellow-faced Grassquit searches bushes for berries and under foliage for insects in a warbler-like manner (Skutch 1954, Stiles and Skutch 1989).

The Yellow-faced Grassquit defends an area of ca 6-10 m around the nest (Skutch 1954).

In a courtship display, the male perches a few cm in front of the female as he raises and vibrates his wings while singing (Skutch 1954, Stiles and Skutch 1989). This display continues after the pair have mated, until at least while the nest is under construction (Skutch 1954).

The Yellow-faced Grassquit may forage solitarily, or, more frequently, in pairs, but when not breeding, often occurs in flocks of up to 100 individuals (Hilty and Brown 1986, Howell and Webb 1995). Other flock associates include Blue-black Grassquit (Volatinia jacarina), Variable Seedeater (Sporophila americana), and White-collared Seedeater (S. torqueola) (Wetmore et al. 1984, Hilty and Brown 1986, Howell and Webb 1995). When flushed, grassquits maintain close flock association in the bushes in which they take shelter (Wetmore et al. 1984).

No information.