A becard is a bird of the genus Pachyramphus in the family Tityridae.
Taxonomy The genus Pachyramphus was introduced in 1839 by the English zoologist George Robert Gray in the volume on birds by John Gould that formed part of Charles Darwin's Zoology of the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle. Although the title page bears a date of 1841, both the plates and the text on Pachyramphus were issued in 1839. The type species was designated by Gray in 1840 as the green-backed becard (Pachyramphus viridis). The generic name is from the Ancient Greek pakhus meaning "stout" or "thick" and rhamphos meaning "bill".
The genus had traditionally been placed in Cotingidae or Tyrannidae, but evidence strongly suggests that it is better placed in the family Tityridae, where it is now placed by the IOC.Adopt the Family Tityridae – South American Classification Committee (2007)
Extant species The genus contains seventeen species:
Image Scientific name Common name Distribution Pachyramphus viridis Green-backed becard Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Guyana, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Pachyramphus versicolor Barred becard from Costa Rica to northwestern Ecuador and northern Bolivia. Pachyramphus spodiurus Slaty becard Ecuador and far northern Peru. Pachyramphus rufus Cinereous becard Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela Pachyramphus castaneus Chestnut-crowned becard Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia and regions of Venezuela Pachyramphus cinnamomeus Cinnamon becardsouth-eastern Mexico south to north-western Ecuador and north-western Venezuela Pachyramphus polychopterus White-winged becard Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Pachyramphus marginatus Black-capped becard Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. Pachyramphus albogriseus Black-and-white becard Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, and Venezuela. Pachyramphus salvini Cryptic becard Ecuador and Peru. Pachyramphus major Grey-collared becard Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua. Pachyramphus surinamus Glossy-backed becard Brazil, French Guiana, and Suriname. Pachyramphus homochrous One-colored becard Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela. Pachyramphus minor Pink-throated becard Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. Pachyramphus validus Crested becard Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Peru. Pachyramphus aglaiae Rose-throated becard south-easternmost Arizona and extreme southern Texas of the United States to western Panama. Pachyramphus niger Jamaican becard Jamaica.
Former species Some authorities, either presently or formerly, recognize several additional species as belonging to the genus Pachyramphus including: Rusty-vented canastero (as Bathmidura Dorbignyi)
Description The becards are characterized by their large heads with a slight crest. The smaller members of this genus have graduated tails and most members are sexually dimorphic, although the cinnamon becard and the chestnut-crowned becard have similar plumages for the males and females. Juvenile becards resemble the adult females in plumage and, as far as known, obtain their adult plumage after about a year. The bills of the becards are grey, and many (but not all) have a black culmen or upper mandible. Their legs are dark gray.
Distribution and habitat They are primarily found in Central and South America, but the rose-throated becard occurs as far north as southern United States and, as suggested by its common name, the Jamaican becard is restricted to Jamaica. Depending on the species, they are found in wooded habitats ranging from open woodland to the dense canopy of rainforests.
Breeding The nest of a becard is a bulky globular mass of dead leaves, mosses, and fibers with the entrance near the bottom of the nest. Nests are typically wedged or slung from the outer branches of trees at the mid or upper levels.
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