Big Finner vs Buff-throated Saltator

Balaenoptera physalus compared with Saltator maximus

Key Differences

• Big Finner is Endangered while Buff-throated Saltator is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Big Finner	Buff-throated Saltator
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)	Passeriformes (Songbirds)
Family	Balaenopteridae (Rorquals)	Thraupidae
Genus	Balaenoptera (Rorquals)	Saltator
Species	Balaenoptera physalus	Saltator maximus

Evolutionary Relationship

Big Finner and Buff-throated Saltator share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Big Finner

EN — Endangered

Buff-throated Saltator

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Big Finner	Buff-throated Saltator
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Big Finner

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, flooded grasslands and savannas, and montane grasslands and shrublands, among 4 distinct biome types within the Neotropic biogeographic realm.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (5 countries), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Buff-throated Saltator

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, and Venezuela.

Big Finner

Big Finner (Balaenoptera physalus) is classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List. At high risk of extinction in the wild, with significant population decline and ongoing threats to survival.

Buff-throated Saltator

A large, handsome saltator of humid forest, forest edge, and secondary woodland from Mexico through Central America and south to Bolivia and Brazil, buff-throated saltators display green upper parts with a distinctive white supercilium, black malar stripe, and warm buff throat. They are common in forest margins and gardens, producing rich, melodious warbling songs. They forage on seeds, fruit, and buds, occasionally joining mixed-species flocks. One of the most frequently observed saltators across their broad neotropical range.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇨🇴 Colombia 🇪🇨 Ecuador 🇳🇴 Norway 🇻🇪 Venezuela