A becard is a

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

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 Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended fr ...

's '' Zoology of the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle''. The

type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen ...

was designated by Gray in 1840 as the green-backed becard (''Pachyramphus viridis''). The generic name is from the

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...

''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 The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss ...

Extant species

The genus contains seventeen

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

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 Crest or CREST may refer to: Buildings *The Crest (Huntington, New York), a historic house in Suffolk County, New York *"The Crest", an alternate name for 63 Wall Street, in Manhattan, New York *Crest Castle (Château Du Crest), Jussy, Switzerla ...

. 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

plumage Plumage ( "feather") is a layer of feathers that covers a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage differ between species and subspecies and may vary with age classes. Within species, ...

s 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 Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

and South America, but the

rose-throated becard The rose-throated becard (''Pachyramphus aglaiae'') 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 Ti ...

occurs as far north as southern United States and, as suggested by its

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...

, 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

rainforest Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainfores ...

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.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q536789 * Taxa named by George Robert Gray Taxonomy articles created by Polbot