- Saltator striatipectus
Identification
19-20.5 cm (7½-8 in).
- Greyish-green crown, becoming more green on back and upperwing-coverts
- Greyish rump
- Blackish flight-feathers, broad olive-green edgings on outer webs, tertials with entire outer web greenish (giving olive-green appearance to closed wing)
- Dull grey-brown rectrices
- Buffy white narrow supercilium in front of eye, whitish area above eye, brownish-grey lores and ear-coverts, dusky malar line
- Whitish throat, off-white chest with diffuse darker streaks
- Buff-white belly with diffuse grey-black streaks at side
- Buffy-white vent and undertail-coverts
- Blackish bill with yellow gape, sometimes a yellow tip
Sexes similar. Juveniles are similar to adults but they have a duller back and less green on upperparts.
Variations
Photo © by Stanley Jones
South of Jaén, Cajamarca, Perú, west of Río Marañón, Peru, January 2017
- furax is smaller and has much darker underparts and wider and heavier streaking
- isthmicus is smaller with more greenish or yellowish underparts and heavier and more olive-green stripes, less greyish
- scotinus is the darkest subspecies
- melicus is similar to isthmicus but has a larger and heavier bill, has a greyer side of head, darker flanks and darker grey uppertail-coverts and uppertail
- speratus is smaller than nominate, more greenish or yellowish on underparts and less heavily streaked than isthmicus
- perstriatus is similar to nominate but clearer green and less greyish on upperparts and with more heavily streaked underparts
- flavidicollis has a longer and more prominent supercilium, olive upperparts, whitish underparts (sometimes with some yellow tinge) and almost without streaking
- immaculatus has an inconspicuous supercilium, a greyish head, mainly dull greyish upperparts and a pale greyish chest with little streaking, a whiter throat and belly
- peruvianus has very olive upperparts, heavy streaking on underparts and more black on bill
Distribution
From Costa Rica south to Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad, Ecuador and Peru.
Rather common in much of its range.
Taxonomy
Has been considered conspecific with Lesser Antillean Saltator.
Subspecies
This is a polytypic species[1] consisting of 10 subspecies.
- S. s. furax in the lowlands of southwestern Costa Rica and western Panama
- S. s. isthmicus in Panama (except western Chiriquí and Darién)
- S. s. scotinus on Isla Coiba and Isla Ranchería (off western Panama)
- S. s. melicus on Isla Taboga (Bay of Panama)
- S. s. speratus on Pearl Islands (San Miguel, Saboga and Viveros)
- S. s. striatipectus in eastern Panama (Darién) and Colombia west of the Andes (south to Cauca)
- S. s. perstriatus from northeastern Colombia to mountains of northern Venezuela; Trinidad
- S. s. flavidicollis in southwestern Colombia (Nariño) to arid western Ecuador and northwestern Peru (Piura)
- S. s. immaculatus in arid coastal Peru (Lambayeque to Ica)
- S. s. peruvianus in northern Peru (upper Marañón Valley in Cajamarca and La Libertad)
The different races may involve more than one species, further study is needed. A population in southwest Ecuador may represent another undescribed subspecies.
Habitat
Found in second growth, wooded gardens, forest edge and old farmland. In Ecuador and Peru in dry forest, not in arid regions in Venezuela.
Occurs from sea-level up to 1500 m, rarely up to 2500 m.
Behaviour
Often seen in pairs, at fruiting trees in small groups. Not shy.
Diet
Feeds on ants, beetles, seeds, flower buds and various fruit.
Breeding
Breeds mainly in April or May. The nest is an open cup made of slender dead vines, weed stems and similar material. It's placed 1-3 m above the ground in a small tree or shrub. Lays 2 eggs.
Movements
Apparently a sedentary species.
References
- Clements, J. F., P. C. Rasmussen, T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, A. Spencer, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2023. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2023. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2011. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 16: Tanagers to New World Blackbirds. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553781
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Streaked Saltator. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 26 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Streaked_Saltator
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
