Photo: TonyCastro / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Black-cowled Saltator
Saltator nigriceps
Black-cowled Saltator (Saltator nigriceps) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Black-cowled Saltator (Saltator nigriceps) is a member of the Thraupidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 71 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Thraupidae Tanagers & Allies
- Genus Saltator
- Species nigriceps
Quick facts
- Weight
- 71 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black-cowled Saltator is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Black-cowled Saltator is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Black-cowled Saltator (Saltator nigriceps) belongs to the Thraupidae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA far s Ecuador and n Peru.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 71 g, with a wing length of about 10.5 cm and a tail of around 10.5 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 27,000 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black-cowled Saltator?
The Black-cowled Saltator is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 71 g.
Where does the Black-cowled Saltator live?
The Black-cowled Saltator is found across South America with a range covering SA far s Ecuador and n Peru, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Black-cowled Saltator belong to?
The Black-cowled Saltator (Saltator nigriceps) belongs to the Thraupidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Black-cowled Saltator eat?
The Black-cowled Saltator is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Black-cowled Saltator migrate?
The Black-cowled Saltator is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Black-cowled Saltator endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Black-cowled Saltator make?
1 real field recording of the Black-cowled Saltator — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Black-cowled Saltator's range?
The Black-cowled Saltator has a mapped global range of about 27,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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A field guide to the Thraupidae family — 394 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.