- Saltator albicollis
Identification
The picture will clearly show the green head, wings, and mantle and the grayish rump and tail. The underside has greenish streakes on a lighter gray background. In the head, there is a stong white supercilium, grayish sides and a weak black moustacial stripe and a small white chin just below the lower mandible that is difficult to see. The upper mandible is three-colored, dark gray inner, then yellow, and a small white tip, while the lower mandible is gray along the edges with a yellow color centrally from base to tip that is only visible from below. Legs are gray. In writing the above, photos of birds from Dominica of the Subspecies guadelupensis have been used extensively. Possibly, there would be details that differ in the nominate subspecies.
Distribution
Range from Guadeloupe in north to St. Lucia in south with two different subspecies.
Taxonomy
Has been considered conspecific with Streaked Saltator.
Habitat
In Raffaele et al. "Birds of the West Indies" described as common in thickets, second growth, dry scrub, and forest edge. I agree with it being common here in Dominica, also occurring in fruit tree gardens.
Behaviour
It is the only local bird capable of eating the leaves of the Papaya plant. That is impressive because the Papaya leaves contain the enzyme papain, one of two enzymes used as meat tenderizer. Even peeling a green Papaya fruit makes my skin go soft!
