| Jamaican becard | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Tityridae |
| Genus: | Pachyramphus |
| Species: | P. niger |
| Binomial name | |
| Pachyramphus niger (Gmelin, JF, 1788) | |
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| Synonyms | |
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The Jamaican becard (Pachyramphus niger) is a species of bird in the family Tityridae, the tityras, becards, and allies. It is endemic to Jamaica. [2]
The Jamaican becard was formally described in 1788 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae . He placed it with the shrikes in the genus Lanius and coined the binomial name Lanius niger. [3] [4] Gmelin based his description on the "black shrike" that had been described in 1781 by the English ornithologist John Latham in his book A General Synopsis of Birds. Latham had received two specimens from Jamaica. [5]
The Jamaican becard and some other becards were for a time placed in genus Platypsaris which was merged into Pachyramphus in 1973. [6] It is now one of 18 becards in genus Pachyramphus that had been introduced in 1839 by George Gray. [2] The genus Pachyramphus has variously been assigned to the tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae and the cotinga family Cotingidae. Several early twenty-first century studies confirmed the placement of Pachyramphus in Tityridae and taxonomic systems made the reassignment. [7] In 1998 the American Ornithological Society was unsure where to place the genus and listed its members as incertae sedis but in 2011 moved them to Tityridae. [8]
The Jamaican becard is about 18 cm (7.1 in) long and weighs about 39 to 41.5 g (1.4 to 1.5 oz). Adult males are entirely black except for some white at the base of the wing that shows only in flight. Adult females have a deep brown crown. Their upperparts are reddish brown. Their cheeks, throat, neck, and upper breast are cinnamon and their lower breast and the rest of their underparts are pale gray. [9]
The Jamaican becard is found throughout the island of Jamaica. It inhabits a variety of landscapes in the tropical and lower subtropical zones, most of which are somewhat open. [6] These include mature open forest, woodlands, and pastures with trees. It also inhabits gardens and the interior and edges of more closed forest. [9] [10] In elevation it ranges from sea level to 1,800 m (5,900 ft). [6]
The Jamaican becard makes elevational movements between the seasons, moving downslope after breeding. [9]
The Jamaican becard feeds on insects and fruit. It gleans both with short sallies that sometimes include a brief hover. It also takes insects in mid-air. [9]
The Jamaican becard breeds between March and June and sometimes raises two broods. Its nest is a large bulky globe with an entrance hole near the bottom. It is made of plant materials and is suspended below a branch; it is typically high in a tree in closed forest and lower in more open landscapes. The clutch is three eggs. The incubation period, time to fledging, and details of parental care are not known. [9]
The Jamaican becards main vocalization is "two hoarse quecks followed by [a] musical Co-ome and tell me what you hee-ear" that gradually rises and then falls. [10]
The IUCN has assessed the Jamaican becard as being of Least Concern. It has a small range; its population size is not known and is believed to be stable. No immediate threats have been identified. [1] It is considered "widespread and fairly common locally". [10] Though about three quarters of Jamaica's original forest has been cleared, "this species survives well in secondary habitats and is tolerant of disturbed habitats". [9]
