Rufous-bellied Saltator
Encyclopedia
The Rufous-bellied Saltator ("Saltator" rufiventris) is a species of songbird
found in a few areas in the eastern Andes
of southern Bolivia
and extreme northern Argentina
.
Its habitat
is open land, including cultivated land, that has patches of scrub, alder
trees, or Polylepis
trees.
It is threatened by habitat loss.
It was long placed in the genus Saltator
, which is now often classified in the cardinal family though it may belong with the tanager
s. However, a 2007 DNA study found that the Rufous-bellied Saltator was closer to the Chestnut-bellied Mountain-Tanager
and the Buff-breasted Mountain-Tanager
than to the true saltators. Because of this result and similarities in habitat and plumage, the American Ornithologists' Union
's South American Classification Committee recently moved this species' listing to the tanager family next to those two mountain-tanagers. In this classification, either the present species needs a genus name, or the genus Dubusia (Buff-breasted Mountain-Tanager) needs to be expanded to include it and the Chestnut-bellied Mountain-Tanager. However, nobody had proposed doing either as of December 2010, and the Rufous-bellied Saltator appears on the committee's list with "Saltator" in quotation marks.
Songbird
A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds . Another name that is sometimes seen as scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin oscen, "a songbird"...
found in a few areas in the eastern Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
of southern Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
and extreme northern Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
.
Its habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
is open land, including cultivated land, that has patches of scrub, alder
Alder
Alder is the common name of a genus of flowering plants belonging to the birch family . The genus comprises about 30 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, few reaching large size, distributed throughout the North Temperate Zone and in the Americas along the Andes southwards to...
trees, or Polylepis
Polylepis
Polylepis is a genus containing about twenty species of shrubs or trees native to the mid- and high-elevation regions of the tropical Andes. This group is unique in the rose family in that it is predominantly wind-pollinated. They are usually gnarled in shape, but in certain areas some trees are...
trees.
It is threatened by habitat loss.
It was long placed in the genus Saltator
Saltator
Saltator is a genus of songbirds of the Americas. They are traditionally placed in the cardinal family but now seem to be closer to tanagers . Their English name is also saltator, except for two dark species known by the more general grosbeak.Saltator is Latin for "leaper" or "dancer"...
, which is now often classified in the cardinal family though it may belong with the tanager
Tanager
The tanagers comprise the bird family Thraupidae, in the order Passeriformes. The family has an American distribution.There were traditionally about 240 species of tanagers, but the taxonomic treatment of this family's members is currently in a state of flux...
s. However, a 2007 DNA study found that the Rufous-bellied Saltator was closer to the Chestnut-bellied Mountain-Tanager
Chestnut-bellied Mountain-tanager
The Chestnut-bellied Mountain-tanager is a species of bird in the Thraupidae family. It is the only member of the genus Delothraupis....
and the Buff-breasted Mountain-Tanager
Buff-breasted Mountain-tanager
The Buff-breasted Mountain-tanager is a species of bird in the Thraupidae family. It is the only member of the genus Dubusia....
than to the true saltators. Because of this result and similarities in habitat and plumage, the American Ornithologists' Union
American Ornithologists' Union
The American Ornithologists' Union is an ornithological organization in the USA. Unlike the National Audubon Society, its members are primarily professional ornithologists rather than amateur birders...
's South American Classification Committee recently moved this species' listing to the tanager family next to those two mountain-tanagers. In this classification, either the present species needs a genus name, or the genus Dubusia (Buff-breasted Mountain-Tanager) needs to be expanded to include it and the Chestnut-bellied Mountain-Tanager. However, nobody had proposed doing either as of December 2010, and the Rufous-bellied Saltator appears on the committee's list with "Saltator" in quotation marks.