| Pachyramphus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chestnut-crowned becard (Pachyramphus castaneus) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Tityridae |
| Subfamily: | Tityrinae |
| Genus: | Pachyramphus G.R. Gray, 1839 |
| Type species | |
| Psaris cuvierii [1] Swainson, 1821 | |
| Species | |
See text. | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
A becard is a bird of the genus Pachyramphus in the family Tityridae.
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 . [2] [3] [4] The type species was designated by Gray in 1840 as the green-backed becard (Pachyramphus viridis). [5] The generic name is from the Ancient Greek pakhus meaning "stout" or "thick" and rhamphos meaning "bill". [6]
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. [7]
The genus contains eighteen species: [8]
| Image | Scientific name | Common Name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Pachyramphus viridis | Green-backed becard | Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Guyana, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Venezuela. |
 | Pachyramphus xanthogenys | Yellow-cheeked becard | south Colombia, east Ecuador, central Peru |
 | 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 becard | south-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. |
Some authorities, either presently or formerly, recognize several additional species as belonging to the genus Pachyramphus including:
The becards are characterized by their large heads with a slight crest. [10] The smaller members of this genus have graduated tails and most members are sexually dimorphic, although the cinnamon becard [10] 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. [10] The bills of the becards are grey, and many (but not all) have a black culmen or upper mandible. Their legs are dark gray. [10]
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. [11] Depending on the species, they are found in wooded habitats ranging from open woodland to the dense canopy of rainforests.
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. [10] Nests are typically wedged or slung from the outer branches of trees at the mid or upper levels. [10]
The cotingas are a large family, Cotingidae, of suboscine passerine birds found in Central America and tropical South America. Cotingas are birds of forests or forest edges, that are primary frugivorous. They all have broad bills with hooked tips, rounded wings, and strong legs. They range in size from 12–13 cm (4.7–5.1 in) of the fiery-throated fruiteater up to 48–51 cm (19–20 in) of the Amazonian umbrellabird.
Neotropical bellbird is the common name given to passerine birds of the genus Procnias, found in the Neotropics. They are members of the cotinga family. They are all restricted to tropical or subtropical humid forested regions, often in low mountains or foothills. As indicated by their common name, they all have extremely loud calls that are reminiscent of a metal bell being rung.
Pyrocephalus is a genus of bird in the tyrant flycatcher family, Tyrannidae.
The cinnamon becard is a passerine bird found in Latin America.
The barred becard is a small passerine bird which is a resident breeding species in highlands from Costa Rica to northwestern Ecuador and northern Bolivia. It has traditionally been placed in Cotingidae or Tyrannidae, but evidence strongly suggests it belongs in Tityridae, where it is now placed by the South American Classification Committee.
The rose-throated becard is a medium-sized member of the family Tityridae. Its genus, Pachyramphus, has traditionally been placed in Cotingidae or Tyrannidae, but evidence strongly suggest it is better placed in Tityridae. This species was named in honour of Aglaé Brelay.
Lipaugus is a genus of birds in the family Cotingidae.
Myiobius is a genus of passerine birds in the family Tityridae. The genus was previously considered to belong to the Tyrannidae.
The one-colored becard is a species of bird in the family Tityridae. It has traditionally been placed in Cotingidae or Tyrannidae, but evidence strongly suggest it is better placed in Tityridae, where it is now placed by the South American Classification Committee.
The grey-collared becard is a species of bird in the family Tityridae. Its genus, Pachyramphus, has traditionally been placed in Cotingidae or Tyrannidae, but evidence strongly suggests it is better placed in Tityridae.
The pink-throated becard is a species of bird in the family Tityridae. It has traditionally been placed in Cotingidae or Tyrannidae, but evidence strongly suggest it is better placed in Tityridae, where it is now placed by the South American Classification Committee. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.
The Jamaican becard is a species of bird in the family Tityridae. Its genus, Pachyramphus, has traditionally been placed in Cotingidae or Tyrannidae, but evidence strongly suggest it is better placed in Tityridae.
The white-winged becard is a species of bird in the family Tityridae. It has traditionally been placed in Cotingidae or Tyrannidae, but evidence strongly suggest it is better placed in Tityridae, where it is now placed by the South American Classification Committee. The species contains 8 subspecies that vary markedly in plumage and voice, and it has been suggested that they represent more than one species.
The cinereous becard is a species of bird in the family Tityridae. The term cinereous describes its colouration. It has traditionally been placed in Cotingidae or Tyrannidae, but evidence strongly suggest it is better placed in Tityridae, where it is now placed by the South American Classification Committee.
The slaty becard is a species of bird in the family Tityridae. It has traditionally been placed in Cotingidae or Tyrannidae, but evidence strongly suggest it is better placed in Tityridae, where it is now placed by the South American Classification Committee.
The glossy-backed becard is a species of bird in the family Tityridae. It has traditionally been placed in Cotingidae or Tyrannidae, but evidence strongly suggests that it is better placed in Tityridae, where it is now placed by the South American Classification Committee. It is found in Brazil, French Guiana, and Suriname. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
The crested becard, also known as the plain becard, is a species of bird in the family Tityridae. It has traditionally been placed in Cotingidae or Tyrannidae, but evidence strongly suggest it is better placed in Tityridae, where it is now placed by the South American Classification Committee.
The white-naped xenopsaris, also known as the reed becard and white-naped becard, is a species of suboscine bird in the family Tityridae, the only member of the genus Xenopsaris. It is found in South America, in humid subtropical and tropical savanna climates in most of the countries east of the Andes: Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina. Living in open woodland and other open forest habitats, it is mostly sedentary, though some populations may be migratory. The species, which is closely related to becards and tityras, was thought to be either a tyrant-flycatcher or cotinga, before it was placed in Tityridae.
The yellow-cheeked becard is a passerine bird in the family Tityridae. It is treated variously as a distinct species or as a subspecies of the green-backed becard, Pachyramphus viridis. It has traditionally been placed in Cotingidae or Tyrannidae, but evidence strongly suggest it is better placed in Tityridae, where now placed by the South American Classification Committee. It is mainly found in Ecuador and Peru.
Tityridae is family of suboscine passerine birds found in forest and woodland in the Neotropics. The 45 species in this family were formerly spread over the families Tyrannidae, Pipridae and Cotingidae. As yet, no widely accepted common name exists for the family, although tityras and allies and tityras, mourners and allies have been used. They are small to medium-sized birds. Under current classification, the family ranges in size from the buff-throated purpletuft, at 9.5 cm (3.7 in) and 10 grams, to the masked tityra, at up to 24 cm (9.5 in) and 88 grams. Most have relatively short tails and large heads.