Photo: Rhododendrites / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Buff-throated Saltator
Saltator maximus
Buff-throated Saltator (Saltator maximus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 12 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Buff-throated Saltator (Saltator maximus) is a member of the Thraupidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 47.6 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 maximus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 47.6 g
- Diet
- Fruit-eaters
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Not Evaluated
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Buff-throated Saltator is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Buff-throated Saltator is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Buff-throated Saltator (Saltator maximus) is a member of the Thraupidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA widespread.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 47.6 g, with a wing length of about 9.6 cm and a tail of around 8.9 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 9.5 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Buff-throated Saltator?
The Buff-throated Saltator is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 47.6 g.
Where does the Buff-throated Saltator live?
The Buff-throated Saltator is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA widespread, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Buff-throated Saltator belong to?
The Buff-throated Saltator (Saltator maximus) belongs to the Thraupidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Buff-throated Saltator eat?
The Buff-throated Saltator is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Does the Buff-throated Saltator migrate?
The Buff-throated Saltator is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Buff-throated 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 Buff-throated Saltator make?
1 real field recording of the Buff-throated Saltator — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Buff-throated Saltator's range?
The Buff-throated Saltator has a mapped global range of about 9.5 million 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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How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.
Meet the Thraupidae
A field guide to the Thraupidae family — 394 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.