| Greyish Saltator | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Subclass: | Neornithes |
| Infraclass: | Neognathae |
| Superorder: | Neoaves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Suborder: | Passeri |
| Infraorder: | Passerida |
| Superfamily: | Passeroidea |
| Family: | see text |
| Genus: | Saltator (but see text) |
| Species: | S. coerulescens |
| Binomial name | |
| Saltator coerulescens (Vieillot, 1817) |
|
The Greyish Saltator, Saltator coerulescens, is a seed-eating songbird that is widespread in the tropical Americas. Traditionally placed in the cardinal family (Cardinalidae), the saltators actually seem to be closer to the tanagers (Thraupidae).[1] In El Salvador, it is well known as dichosofui after the "elaborate" version of its call, which sounds like a drawn-out ¡dichoso fui!, Spanish for "I was happy!"
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On average, the Greyish Saltator is 20 cm long and weighs 52 g. The plumage depends on age and subspecies, but in general this bird has grey or greyish-olive upperparts, a white stripe over the eye, a narrow white throat, a grey breast and a buff or cinnamon belly.
The common call is a long-drawn upward slur, ch'wheeet or ch'kweeee, sometimes with a more elaborate beginning, as hi'whee chu weeeeh. The song is a warble, usually fairly short, varying from nasal to mellow.[2]
The genus Saltator is apparently polyphyletic. Whether the present species will remain in Saltator or eventually be moved to another genus remains to be seen; it appears to be rather close to the type species, the Buff-throated Saltator, and thus seems more likely than not to retain its genus name.[1]
There are 13 subspecies, several of which are considered full species by some authors, mainly on the basis of vocalisations.[3]
This species occurs in open woodland, plains and scrub, from Mexico through Central America into southern South America, south to Peru and the Paraná River region in northern Argentina.[4] The Greyish Saltator feeds on fruits,[5] buds and slow-moving arthropods. It forages at low and middle levels, sometimes in pairs or small groups and sometimes with mixed-species flocks that may include other saltators.[2]
The two pale blue subelliptic eggs per clutch measure some 23–31.5 mm long by about 17–22 mm wide and weigh about 5 grams each. They look unusual for this genus as they have a circle of blackish-brown hairstreaks and dots around the blunt end.[6] They are laid in a bulky cup nest 2–4 m high in a tree.
