Thick-billed saltator facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Thick-billed saltator |
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Saltator
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maxillosus
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The thick-billed saltator (its scientific name is Saltator maxillosus) is a cool bird that belongs to a group called saltators. They are part of the Thraupidae family, which includes many types of tanagers. You can find this bird living in the high parts of the Atlantic Forest in southeastern Brazil, a small part of northeastern Argentina (in a place called Misiones Province), and maybe even in eastern Paraguay.
Unlike many other saltators, the thick-billed saltator looks different depending on if it's a male or a female. This is called being sexually dichromatic. Female thick-billed saltators look a bit like a green-winged saltator, but they have a thicker beak, a greener face, and a soft, light brown (called buff) throat. The male thick-billed saltator is special because it has a long white stripe above its eye, a gray back, and a beak that is black and orange. The amount of orange on their beak can be different from bird to bird.
Contents
What Does the Thick-Billed Saltator Look Like?
This bird is about 19 centimeters (about 7.5 inches) long. One of the first things you'll notice is its very thick, tall, and yellow beak, especially near its base.
Its upper body is a dark gray color, with very little green. It has a clear white stripe that starts above its eye, right at the base of its beak. The lower parts of its body are a rusty color.
Female thick-billed saltators have a green back. Young birds (immatures) also have green upper parts, but their beak is black.
What Does It Sound Like?
The thick-billed saltator has a unique song. It sings in groups of four strong calls, with the third call being the loudest. You can often hear them singing from August onwards.
Behavior and Habits
What Do They Eat?
Just like its relative, the green-winged saltator (also known as Saltator similis), the thick-billed saltator eats many different things. It is an omnivore, which means it eats both plants and animals. Their diet includes seeds, leaves, insects, and fruits.
Reproduction and Family Life
During the breeding season, thick-billed saltators live strictly in pairs. They are very loyal to their territory, meaning they stay in their chosen area.
They build nests that are shaped like a cup, usually not too high off the ground. The female bird sits on the eggs to keep them warm, a process called incubation, which lasts about 14 days. On average, they have two groups of babies (called litters) each season, with three eggs in each litter.
Where Do They Live?
Thick-billed saltators like to live on the edges of forests and in gardens. You can find them in certain high mountain areas of Southeast Brazil. Their home range stretches from Espírito Santo to Rio de Janeiro, and then down to the northeast of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, and also into eastern Argentina.
