- Saltator albicollis
Identification
22 cm
Green head, wings, and mantle and the grayish rump and tail. The underside has greenish streaks on a lighter gray background. In the head, there is a strong 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
Two different subspecies are recognized: guadelupensis in Guadeloupe and Dominica, albicollis in Martinique and St. Lucia. Lesser Antillean Saltator 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. Also occurring in fruit tree gardens.
Behaviour
It is the only local bird capable of eating the leaves of the Papaya plant.
Vocalizations
Recording by NJLarsen in Dominica. Bird is subspecies guadeloupensis
References
- Clements, James F. 2007. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2007. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. ISBN 9780801445019
- Raffaele et al. 1998. Birds of the West Indies. Christopher Helm, London. ISBN 0713649054
- Personal observations by Birdforum member NJLarsen
