| Pachyramphus | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| 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 | |
| |
Abecard is a bird of the genusPachyramphus in the familyTityridae.
The genusPachyramphus was introduced in 1839 by the English zoologistGeorge Robert Gray in the volume on birds byJohn Gould that formed part ofCharles Darwin'sZoology of the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle.[2][3][4] Thetype species was designated by Gray in 1840 as thegreen-backed becard (Pachyramphus viridis).[5] The generic name is from theAncient Greekpakhus meaning "stout" or "thick" andrhamphos meaning "bill".[6]
The genus had traditionally been placed inCotingidae orTyrannidae, but evidence strongly suggests that it is better placed in the familyTityridae, where it is now placed by theIOC.[7]
The genus contains eighteenspecies:[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 |
_-NW_Ecuador-6.jpg) | Pachyramphus versicolor | Barred becard | from Costa Rica to northwestern Ecuador and northern Bolivia. |
 | Pachyramphus spodiurus | Slaty becard | Ecuador and far northern Peru. |
.jpg) | 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 |
_(1)_(cropped).jpg) | 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. |
.JPG) | Pachyramphus marginatus | Black-capped becard | Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. |
.jpg) | 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. |
.jpg) | Pachyramphus homochrous | One-colored becard | Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela. |
.JPG) | Pachyramphus minor | Pink-throated becard | Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. |
.jpg) | Pachyramphus validus | Crested becard | Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Peru. |
_north_of_tubac_river_crossing_bridge%2c_santa_cruz_co%2c_az_-02_(42239692182).jpg) | Pachyramphus aglaiae | Rose-throated becard | south-easternmost Arizona and extreme southern Texas of the United States to western Panama. |
_(8082132988).jpg) | Pachyramphus niger | Jamaican becard | Jamaica. |
Some authorities, either presently or formerly, recognize several additional species as belonging to the genusPachyramphus including:
The becards are characterized by their large heads with a slightcrest.[10] The smaller members of this genus have graduated tails and most members aresexually dimorphic, although thecinnamon becard[10] and thechestnut-crowned becard have similarplumages 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 blackculmen or upper mandible. Their legs are dark gray.[10]
They are primarily found inCentral and South America, but therose-throated becard occurs as far north as southern United States and, as suggested by itscommon name, theJamaican becard is restricted to Jamaica.[11] Depending on the species, they are found in wooded habitats ranging from open woodland to the densecanopy ofrainforests.
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]
