Slate-colored Grosbeak

The slate-coloured grosbeak, known scientifically as Saltator grossus, is a robust bird with a thickset body and a strong bill, characteristic of the grosbeaks. Its plumage is predominantly a slate grey, lending to its common name.

Identification Tips

This species can be identified by its sizeable, conical bill and its overall slate grey coloration. The specific name grossus, from Latin, refers to its thick or coarse appearance.

Habitat

The slate-coloured grosbeak is found in the lush forests of the Amazon basin, as well as the Chocó region in Ecuador and Colombia. It also inhabits the southern reaches of Central America, extending from Panama to Honduras.

Distribution

The bird's range is quite extensive, primarily spanning the Amazon in South America and reaching up into the forests of southern Central America.

Conservation status

The slate-coloured grosbeak is currently classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, indicating that it does not face any immediate threat of extinction in its natural habitat.

Taxonomy

First described by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760, the slate-coloured grosbeak was later included by Carl Linnaeus in the twelfth edition of his Systema Naturae in 1766. The bird is placed in the genus Saltator, which was introduced by French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot in 1816. The type locality of this species has been restricted to French Guiana.