Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela.
Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.
Population
Estimated population is 50,000 - 499,999 (2010).
Slate-colored Seedeater (Sporophila) [XC764392]
by Mateus Gon\u00e7alves Santos from Parauapebas, Par\u00e1, Brazil (song)
Slate-colored Seedeater (Sporophila schistacea) [XC840558]
by Jorge Vallejo from Universidad de Ibagu\u00e9, Ibagu\u00e9, Tolima, Colombia (song)
Subspecies
Molecular evidence suggests that genus is closely related to Oryzoborus, which should perhaps be subsumed within it. Further, that both genera should be placed in the tanager family (Thraupidae). Present species thought to be highly variable, and has recently been suggested that it be treated as polymorphic, rather than polytypic. Further research desirable. Birds from Belize to Nicaragua sometimes separated as subspecies subconcolor, but this form is probably best considered a variant of nominate.
The following 4 subspecies are recognised:
schistacea Lawrence, 1862 - Belize and northern and eastern Honduras through north-eastern Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama to northern Colombia and western slope of eastern Andes.
incerta Riley, 1914 - Pacific slope of Andes from western Colombia (Caldas) south to northern Ecuador (south to Pichincha, also in Napo).
longipennis Chubb, C, 1921 - Western, northern and eastern Venezuela (eastern slope of Andes southern from Mérida, Monagas east to Delta Amacuro, and Bolívar), Colombia (eastern slope of eastern Andes south to Meta), the Guianas, Brazil (Roraima, Amapá, northern Pará and southern Amazonas), northern and eastern Peru (Loreto and Huánuco south to Madre de Dios) and north-western Bolivia (Beni and Cochabamba).
subconcolor Berlioz, 1959 - Belize and Guatemala to Nicaragua.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet