The lesser seedcracker is a mostly resident species, but is a partial [[Bird migration|migrant]] in eastern Zimbabwe. It usually forages in pairs low in the undergrowth, or sometimes on the ground, where it feedsfeeding on grass and other seeds, including [[rice]] and the large hard seeds of the bamboo-like ''[[Olyra latifolia]]''.<ref name=Clement/><ref name=hbwa/> Breeding takes place between December and March in Malawi and Zimbabwe, and between March and May in Mozambique.<ref name=Clement/><refhbwa>{{cite web |url=https://www.hbw.com/node/61119 |title=Lesser Seedcracker (''Pyrenestes minor''). |author=Payne, R. |date= |work=Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive |publisher=Lynx Edicions, Barcelona |accessdate=16 July 2019}}</ref>
