Saltator maximus
The Buff-throated Saltator (Saltator maximus) is a striking and familiar songbird of the Neotropics, renowned for its robust build and melodious voice. Measuring approximately 18-20 cm (7.1-7.9 inches) in length and weighing between 40-60 grams (1.4-2.1 oz), it possesses a distinctive plumage. Key field marks include its olive-green upperparts, a contrasting gray head with a prominent white supercilium, and most notably, a warm buff-orange throat bordered by a thin black malar stripe. The und...
Primarily found in a variety of tropical and subtropical lowland and foothill forests, including forest edges, secondary growth, plantations, and gardens. It typically occurs from sea level up to elevations of about 2,000 meters.
Primarily omnivorous, consuming a wide variety of fruits and berries, insects, and seeds, foraging by gleaning and probing foliage.
Buff-throated Saltators are diurnal birds, often observed singly, in pairs, or in small family groups foraging actively throughout the day. They exhibit an omnivorous foraging strategy, gleaning fruits, insects, and seeds from foliage and branches, occasionally making short sallies to catch flyin...
The Buff-throated Saltator boasts an extensive geographical distribution across the Neotropics, spanning from southern Mexico through Central America and south into much of South America. Its breeding range encompasses countries including Oaxaca and Veracruz in Mexico, southward through Belize, G...
Least Concern
- The Buff-throated Saltator is renowned for its complex and often synchronized duetting songs, where male and female birds exchange phrases in a seamless, melodious performance. - Its taxonomic classification has been a subject of debate; it was formerly placed in the tanager family (Thraupidae)...