Becard

A becard is a bird of the genus Pachyrhamphus in the family Tityridae. The genus has traditionally been placed in Cotingidae or Tyrannidae, but evidence strongly suggests it is better placed in Tityridae, where now placed by SACC. Depending on taxonomy, the genus contains 16 or 17 species. The becards are characterized by their large heads with 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. 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. 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.