Black-headed Saltator
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| Saltator atriceps (Lesson, 1832) |
The Black-headed Saltator, Saltator atriceps, is a seedeating bird in the cardinal family. It breeds from central Mexico to eastern Panama.
This is a species of dense vegetation. Two black-marked pale blue eggs are laid in a bulky grass-lined cup nest up to 3 m high in a thicket between April and July.
The Black-headed Saltator is on average 24 cm long and weighs 85 g. The adult has a slate-grey head with a whitish supercilium. The upperparts are yellowish green, the underparts are pale grey, and the throat is white edged with black. The thick convex bill is black and the legs are brown. Young birds are duller, and have mottling on the breast and brown markings on the underparts. This species is similar to the Buff-throated Saltator, but is larger and has a darker head and paler underparts.
The common call is a raucous deeeer. The song is a loud scratchy cher cher jur jur weeee, often given by males as a duet.
The Black-headed Saltator feeds on fruit, buds, nectar and slow-moving insects. It forages at low and mid levels, sometimes with mixed species flocks.
[edit] References
- BirdLife International (2004). Saltator atriceps. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
- Stiles and Skutch, A guide to the birds of Costa Rica ISBN 0-8014-9600-4
