Nesting of Black-Winged Saltator Saltator Atripennis in Northwestern Ecuador

The Black-wingedSaltator Saltator atripennis is common in the Andes of Colombia and Ecuador. However, only anecdotal information exists on its reproductive biology. In this study, I describe its nest and clutch size based on three nests found between May and June 2020 in northwestern Ecuador. For each nest, I measured daily egg/nestling weights and performed linear regressions to determine their change over time. All nests were cup-shaped and were built in dense shrubbery. Clutch size consisted of two eggs, incubation lasted 14 days, and eggs lost weight at an average daily rate of 0.4 g. The fledglings disappeared after four days, gaining weight at a daily rate of 3.3 g, almost twice that recorded for other Saltator species. The information presented in this study increases our knowledge of the reproductive biology of S. atripennis, but further studies are needed for a more comprehensive understanding of the species’ full breeding cycle.