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Cardinals (Cardinalidae)

Greyish Saltator (Saltator coerulescens) - HBW 16, p. 417

French: Saltator gris German: Grausaltator Spanish: Pepitero Grisáceo
Other common names: Grey Saltator; Middle American Saltator (“grandis group”)

Taxonomy: Saltator coerulescens Vieillot, 1817, Paraguay.
Affiliations of genus uncertain; recent molecular-genetic analyses indicate that it does not belong with present family, and may be better placed with tanagers (Thraupidae). Taxonomy of present species somewhat confused: Middle American races (“grandis group”: vigorsii, plumbiceps, grandis, yucatanensis, hesperis, brevicaudus) possibly represent a separate species, and populations divided by Andes in N South America may perhaps be further differentiated. Further study warranted. Race yucatanensis intergrades with grandis in Bel.. View all taxonomy...

Taxonomy: Saltator coerulescens Vieillot, 1817, Paraguay.
Affiliations of genus uncertain; recent molecular-genetic analyses indicate that it does not belong with present family, and may be better placed with tanagers (Thraupidae). Taxonomy of present species somewhat confused: Middle American races (“grandis group”: vigorsii, plumbiceps, grandis, yucatanensis, hesperis, brevicaudus) possibly represent a separate species, and populations divided by Andes in N South America may perhaps be further differentiated. Further study warranted. Race yucatanensis intergrades with grandis in Belize. Proposed race richardsoni (described from Colima, in W Mexico) is a junior synonym of plumbiceps. Thirteen subspecies currently recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

  • vigorsii G. R. Gray, 1844 - W Mexico (S Sonora, Sinaloa, W Durango, Nayarit and N coastal Jalisco).
  • plumbiceps S. F. Baird, 1867 - W Mexico from C coastal Jalisco S to W Oaxaca.
  • grandis (W. Deppe, 1830) - E Mexico (from S Tamaulipas and E San Luis Potosí) S on Caribbean slope (except Yucatán) to N Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and W Panama.

     See all 13 subspecies
  • vigorsii G. R. Gray, 1844 - W Mexico (S Sonora, Sinaloa, W Durango, Nayarit and N coastal Jalisco).
  • plumbiceps S. F. Baird, 1867 - W Mexico from C coastal Jalisco S to W Oaxaca.
  • grandis (W. Deppe, 1830) - E Mexico (from S Tamaulipas and E San Luis Potosí) S on Caribbean slope (except Yucatán) to N Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and W Panama.
  • yucatanensis Berlepsch, 1912 - Yucatán Peninsula (except extreme S Quintana Roo) and S Mexico (E Tabasco and NE Chiapas).
  • hesperis Griscom, 1930 - Pacific slope from S Mexico (E Oaxaca and Chiapas) and C & S Guatemala S to W Nicaragua.
  • brevicaudus van Rossem, 1931 - vicinity of Golfo de Nicoya, in Costa Rica.
  • plumbeus Bonaparte, 1853 - Caribbean coast of Colombia from R Sinú E to lower Magdalena Valley.
  • brewsteri Bangs & T. E. Penard, 1918 - NE Colombia (Norte de Santander and Arauca), Venezuela (except extreme SE) and Trinidad.
  • olivascens Cabanis, 1848 - SE Venezuela (Mt Roraima, in SE Bolívar), the Guianas and adjacent extreme N Brazil.
  • azarae d’Orbigny, 1839 - W Amazon Basin from E Colombia and W Brazil (E probably to R Negro region and, S of Amazon, to R Madeira) S to E Ecuador, E Peru and NE Bolivia (Bení).
  • mutus P. L. Sclater, 1856 - N Brazil from lower R Solimões E on both banks of R Amazon to Amapá and Mexiana I, S to N Maranhão.
  • superciliaris (Spix, 1825) - NE Brazil (S Piauí and N & W Bahia to N Minas Gerais).
  • coerulescens Vieillot, 1817 - E Bolivia (Santa Cruz and Tarija), SW Brazil (Mato Grosso), N Argentina (except Misiones; S to La Rioja, Córdoba, Santa Fe and N Buenos Aires), Paraguay and W Uruguay.
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