Saltator is a genus of passerine birds in the tanager family Thraupidae that are found in Central and South America. They have thick bills, relatively long tails and strong legs and feet. Before the introduction of molecular genetic methods in the 21st century these species were placed in the cardinal family Cardinalidae.
Taxonomy The genus was introduced by the French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot in 1816 with the buff-throated saltator as the type species. The name is from the Latin saltator, saltatoris meaning "dancer".
The saltators were traditionally grouped with the cardinals, either in the subfamily Cardinalinae within an expanded Emberizidae or in a separate family Cardinalidae. Molecular phylogenetic studies have shown that the saltators are embedded within the tanager family Thraupidae. Within the Thraupidae the genus Saltator is now placed with the genus Saltatricula in the subfamily Saltatorinae. The relationship of the subfamily to the other subfamilies within the Thraupidae is uncertain.
Species The genus contains 16 species: Image Common name Scientific name Distribution Orinoco saltator Saltator orenocensis Venezuela, northeast Colombia Green-winged saltator Saltator similisArgentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay Cinnamon-bellied (or northern grey) saltator Saltator grandisMexico to Panama Olive-grey (or Caribbean grey) saltator Saltator olivascensColombia, Venezuela, the Guianas, far north Brazil and Trinidad Bluish-grey (or Amazonian grey) saltator Saltator coerulescens Widely in tropical and subtropical South America Streaked saltator Saltator striatipectus Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guadeloupe, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela. Lesser Antillean saltator Saltator albicollis Dominica, Martinique, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Lucia. Buff-throated saltator Saltator maximussoutheastern Mexico to western Ecuador and northeastern Brazil. Black-winged saltator Saltator atripennisColombia and Ecuador. Black-headed saltator Saltator atricepscentral Mexico to eastern Panama. Black-cowled saltator Saltator nigriceps Ecuador and the northern border region of Peru. Black-throated grosbeak Saltator fuliginosusAtlantic Forest in far northeastern Argentina (Misiones), eastern and southeastern Brazil, and far eastern Paraguay Slate-coloured grosbeak Saltator grossus the Amazon in South America, but it is also found in forests of the Chocó in Ecuador and Colombia, and southern Central America from Panama to Honduras. Masked saltator Saltator cinctus southern Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Thick-billed saltator Saltator maxillosus Atlantic Forest in southeastern Brazil, far northeastern Argentina (only Misiones Province), and perhaps far eastern Paraguay. Golden-billed saltator Saltator aurantiirostris Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay
The rufous-bellied mountain saltator was formerly a member of this genus. It is now placed in the subfamily Thraupinae and is the only member of the genus Pseudosaltator. Its common name has been changed to rufous-bellied mountain tanager. The black-throated saltator was also formerly assigned to this genus. It is now placed together with the many-colored Chaco finch in the genus Saltatricula as the two species form a divergent clade that is sister to the other members of Saltator.
References
Further reading
External links
Saltator videos, photos & sounds on the Internet Bird Collection