Orinoco Saltator

Overview

The Orinoco saltator, or Orinocan saltator, is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae found in Colombia and Venezuela. It has a very large range and is considered fairly common in both countries, with the IUCN assessing it as being of Least Concern.

Identification

• Length 18.5 to 19 cm (7.3 to 7.5 in) with an average weight of 33.7 g (1.2 oz).
• Plumage varies by subspecies: the nominate features a mostly black face with a long white supercilium, a small white bill base, slate-grey upperparts, white underparts, and buff belly and flanks; the rufescens subspecies is larger with a black forehead and dark buffy-clay underparts.
• Both subspecies possess a brown iris, a blackish bill with a pale lead-grey base on the mandible, and blackish legs and feet.
• The rufescens subspecies produces a distinctive song described as 'a spirited, rollicking chup'ep FEETS er'chup, chup'er FEETS 'er'chup'.

Habitat

The species has a disjunct distribution across far northern Colombia and northwestern and central Venezuela. The rufescens subspecies inhabits dry deciduous woodlands and brushlands, while the nominate subspecies is typical of the Llanos, occupying gallery forest, scrublands, and brushy areas below 500 m in Colombia and 600 m in Venezuela.

Diet

The bird feeds primarily on fruits, seeds, and flowers, with insects consumed to a much lesser extent. It forages in small groups of two or three, usually high up in trees, and seldom joins mixed-species feeding flocks.

Did you know?

Pairs and trios are extremely territorial and are known to mob small owls and snakes. Its nest is a loosely constructed cup made from grasses, situated between 2 and 5 m (7 and 16 ft) above the ground.