Barred Becard

The barred becard, known scientifically as Pachyramphus versicolor, is a diminutive passerine bird, a permanent resident of the highlands stretching from Costa Rica to northwestern Ecuador and northern Bolivia. This species, once thought to belong to the Cotingidae or Tyrannidae families, has found its rightful place in the Tityridae family, as recent evidence strongly suggests.

Identification Tips

An adult barred becard measures a modest 12 cm in length and tips the scales at 14 grams. It boasts a distinctive eye-ring. The male is adorned with black upperparts, generously interspersed with white in the wings, and exhibits yellowish-green shading on the sides of the head and throat, transitioning to white on the remaining underparts, which are finely barred with black. The female, on the other hand, sports a grey crown and nape, olive-green upperparts, and predominantly rufous wings, with greenish-yellow underparts that are also finely barred and dusky. The younger males are a paler reflection of the adults, presenting a duller and greener plumage with less pronounced barring.

Habitat

The barred becard is most commonly observed in the canopy and middle levels of mountain forests. It may descend to lower elevations at forest edges or in adjacent, more open woodlands.

Distribution

This species is distributed across a range of highlands from 1500 to 2500 meters above sea level, occasionally venturing higher early in the year.

Behaviour

Barred becards are active foragers, adept at plucking large insects and spiders from foliage mid-flight. They also exhibit a propensity for hovering to consume small berries. These birds may be seen alone, in pairs or family groups, and are often participants in mixed-species feeding flocks.

Song & Calls

The barred becard communicates with a soft yet persistent "weet weet weet weet" or a "teseep tesep tseep tseep."

Breeding

The female barred becard is the architect of the nest, constructing a 30 cm diameter spherical structure of plant material, with a low entrance, perched 15–23 meters high in a tree fork. The typical clutch consists of two eggs, brownish-white with dark brown blotches, laid between April and June. The female incubates these eggs alone for 18–20 days until they hatch, after which both parents contribute to feeding the young.

Conservation status

The barred becard is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, indicating a stable population without significant threats to its survival.