| Yellow-cheeked becard | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Male | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Tityridae |
| Genus: | Pachyramphus |
| Species: | P. xanthogenys |
| Binomial name | |
| Pachyramphus xanthogenys | |
 | |
The yellow-cheeked becard (Pachyramphus xanthogenys) is a passerine bird in the family Tityridae, the tityras, becards, and allies. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. [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. [3]
The yellow-cheeked becard's further taxonomy is unsettled. The IOC and BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World treat it as a species and assign it two subspecies, the nominate P. x. xanthogenys (Salvadori & Festa, 1898) and P. x. peruanus (Hartert, EJO & Goodson, 1917). [2] The Clements taxonomy, AviList, and the independent South American Classification Committee (SACC) treat the two as subspecies of the green-backed becard (P. viridis). Clements recognizes the two taxa as the "green-backed becard (yellow-cheeked)". The SACC recognizes that xanthogenys and peruanus may represent a species and is seeking a proposal to evaluate their status. [2] [3] [4] [5]
The yellow-cheeked becard is about 14.5 to 16 cm (5.7 to 6.3 in) long. Adult males of the nominate subspecies have a glossy black crown, white lores, and a broken yellow eye-ring. Their face is bright yellow to greenish yellow and their nape is bright olive. Their upperparts are mostly bright olive. Their wings are blackish with wide pale olive edges on the coverts and inner flight feathers. Their tail is dusky olive. The sides of their throat are yellowish olive and the center bright yellow. Their upper breast is bright yellow, their lower breast more yellowish olive, and their belly whitish. Adult females have a similar pattern to males. However, their forecrown is blackish and the rest of the crown and nape are grayish olive. Their lores are grayish olive and their face pale grayish. Their lesser wing coverts are rufous chestnut. Their throat is grayish, their upper breast greenish, their lower breast more pale olive, and their belly white with a grayish wash on the sides and flanks. Subspecies P. x. peruanus is essentially the same as the nominate; males have a slightly brighter face and breast. Both sexes of both subspecies have a dark iris, a pale bluish horn bill, and dusky or grayish legs and feet. [6]
The yellow-cheeked becard is found intermittently along the eastern side of the Andes from far southern Colombia to southeastern Peru, though more nearly continuously through Ecuador. The nominate subspecies is the more northerly of the two. It is found from eastern Cauca and Putumayo departments south through eastern Ecuador into central Peru to San Martín Department. Subspecies P. x. peruanus is found in central and southeastern Peru from Huánuco Department and barely into west-central Brazil's Acre state. [6]
The yellow-cheeked becard primarily inhabits humid to moist forest in the subtropical and lower montane zones, and favors broken and somewhat open areas. It also is found in riparian forest, terra firme forest, and the ecotone between them. [6] [7] In elevation it is found between 500 and 1,800 m (1,600 and 5,900 ft) in Colombia, between 650 and 1,700 m (2,100 and 5,600 ft) in Ecuador, and between 500 and 1,500 m (1,600 and 4,900 ft) in Peru. [8] [7] [9]
The yellow-cheeked becard is a year-round resident. [6]
The yellow-cheeked becard's diet has not been studied but is believed to be mostly insects with some fruit. It has been observed in pairs accompanying mixed-species feeding flocks. It forages in any level of the forest, typically taking food by reaching from a perch, snatching it after a short flight, or while briefly hovering. [6]
The yellow-cheeked becard's breeding season has not been defined. Its nest is a messy globe made from dead leaves, plant fibers, and moss and is typically wedged in a branch fork. Nests have been found between about 4 and 25 m (15 and 80 ft) above the ground. The clutch is two to four eggs that are ochre or brownish gray with brown markings. The female alone incubates, for about 18 to 21 days. Fledging occurs about 20 to 30 days after hatch and both parents provision the nestlings. [6]
The yellow-cheeked becard's "pretty song, given at relatively long intervals, [is] a subdued series of soft whistled notes, du, du-de-de-de-didididididi? lasting 2-3 seconds" and often follows "one or more upslurred tw-wik? notes". [7]
The IUCN has assessed the yellow-cheeked becard as being of Least Concern. It has a very large overall range of about 998,000 km2 (385,000 sq mi) but its area of occupancy within it is not known. Its population size is not known and is believed to be decreasing. No immediate threats have been identified. [1] It is rare in Colombia, "locally fairly common" in Ecuador, and uncommon in Peru. [8] [7] [9]
