Black-headed Saltator

About the Black-headed Saltator

The black-headed saltator (Saltator atriceps) is a species of songbird in the family Thraupidae, the tanagers and allies. It is found from Mexico to Panama. The black-headed saltator was formally described in 1832 with the binomial Tanagra (Saltator) atriceps.

The black-headed saltator has these six subspecies: S. a. atriceps (Lesson, RP, 1832) S. a. suffuscus Wetmore, 1942 S. a. flavicrissus Griscom, 1937 S. a. peeti Brodkorb, 1940 S. a. raptor (Cabot, S, 1845) S. a. lacertosus Bangs, 1900 The black-headed saltator is 25.5 to 28 cm (10 to 11 in) long and weighs about 71 to 93 g (2.5 to 3.3 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies S. a. atriceps have a mostly black head with a thin supercilium to just past the eye; it begins gray and becomes white to the rear. Their face is gray below the eye and onto the cheek. Their back, scapulars, rump, uppertail coverts, wings, and tail are bright yellowish olive-green; it is brightest on the tail. The flight- and tail feathers have black shafts. The center of their throat and their upper breast are white surrounded by black. Their lower breast and belly are ash-gray... Wikipedia →