Olive-grey Saltator
Saltator olivascens
The Olive-grey Saltator (Saltator olivascens) is a uncommon tanager found in 8 countries, weighing about 55 g. The olive-grey saltator, also known as the Caribbean grey saltator, is a quiet, grey-colored passerine bird in the tanager family Thraupidae, native to Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas, far northern Brazil, and Trinidad.
About the Olive-grey Saltator
The olive-grey saltator, also known as the Caribbean grey saltator, is a quiet, grey-colored passerine bird in the tanager family Thraupidae, native to Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas, far northern Brazil, and Trinidad. It was formerly considered conspecific with the greyish saltator, but was split as a distinct species by the IOC in 2021. The olive-grey saltator includes the subspecies brewsteri and plumbeus.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The olive-grey saltator has a thick, black bill that is slightly hooked at the end, with white supercilliaries (giving it a distinct white "eyebrow"), and a thin white crescent under its eye. Distinct black malar stripes frame either side of a white throat. Its underside is a light grey with some buffy coloration towards its flanks and undertail coverts. Voice: Described as having "a 'stuttering song' with rather harsh-sounding downslurred notes", they alternate high and low pitched notes to form a short but sweet melody that can be heard throughout the year. Both males and females sing, at times duetting in "a fast series of repeated rising whit notes, a series of overslurred low-pitched chup notes or loosely repeated high-pitched tseet notes.
Where it lives
When to see it
The Olive-grey Saltator can be seen all year round, with peak activity in May. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify an Olive-grey Saltator?
- The olive-grey saltator has a thick, black bill that is slightly hooked at the end, with white supercilliaries (giving it a distinct white "eyebrow"), and a thin white crescent under its eye. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is an Olive-grey Saltator?
- The Olive-grey Saltator is a small sized bird weighing about 55 g.
- Where can you see an Olive-grey Saltator?
- The Olive-grey Saltator occurs in 8 countries, including Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana and Suriname.
- What birds look similar to an Olive-grey Saltator?
- The Olive-grey Saltator is most easily confused with the Green-winged Saltator, the Bluish-grey Saltator and the Black-winged Saltator.
- Is the Olive-grey Saltator endangered?
- The Olive-grey Saltator is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Olive-grey Saltator for real
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