Lesser Antillean saltator

Lesser Antillean saltator
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Thraupidae
Genus:	Saltator
Species:	S. albicollis
Binomial name
Saltator albicollis Vieillot, 1817

The Lesser Antillean saltator (Saltator albicollis) is a species of songbird in the tanager family Thraupidae that is found in Dominica, Martinique, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Lucia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and heavily degraded former forest.

Taxonomy

The Lesser Antillean saltator was formally described as Saltator albicollis by the French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot in 1817. Vieillot erroneously reported the type locality of his specimen as Cayenne in French Guiana, but it was later corrected to Martinique. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin word meaning "white-necked" or "white-throated".^[2]

The Lesser Antillean saltator is sister to the streaked saltator, which it was previously considered to be the same species as. It has two recognised subspecies:^[2]

• S. a. guadelupensis de Lafresnaye, 1844: It is found on Guadeloupe and Dominica.
• S. a. albicollis Vieillot, 1817: The nominate subspecies, it is found on Martinique and Saint Lucia.

Description

Lesser Antillean saltators grow to a length of 21–22 cm (8.3–8.7 in) and a weight of 37–51.6 g (1.31–1.82 oz). They are olive-green from the back to the top of the head, with a greyish lower back and rump. The face is greyish, with a thin greenish-white supercilium. The beak is black with a yellow gape and apex. The throat is greenish-white, the chest is olive-green, and the flanks are grey. The species does not show sexual dimorphism.^[2]

Distribution and habitat

The Lesser Antillean saltator is endemic to the northern and central portions of the Lesser Antilles, where it is found on the islands of Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique, and Saint Lucia. It has also been recorded as a vagrant on Nevis, although it is not migratory. It inhabits a number of habitats at elevations of up to 500 m (1,600 ft), such as wet forests, swamps, mangroves, and dry forests, but is most commonly found in copses and dry forests.^[2]

Conservation

The Lesser Antillean saltator is classified as being of least concern by the IUCN as despite its small range, it is fairly common on the islands it inhabits and has a stable population.^[1]

References