Pachyramphus validus
The Crested Becard (*Pachyramphus validus*) is a captivating neotropical songbird, renowned for its striking sexual dimorphism and elegant, pendulous nest. Males boast a glossy black crown forming a distinct crest, contrasted by rich rufous-chestnut upperparts and duller rufous-chestnut underparts, measuring approximately 16-17 cm (6.3-6.7 inches) in length and weighing 27-33 grams. Females, in contrast, display a chestnut crown, olive-brown upperparts, and pale rufous-cinnamon underparts, ma...
This becard favors subtropical and tropical moist lowland forests, montane forests, and humid forest edges, often found in secondary growth or tall second-growth woodlands. It typically inhabits elevations ranging from 500 to 1,800 meters above sea level.
The diet of the Crested Becard consists predominantly of insects, including beetles, orthopterans, and caterpillars, supplemented significantly by various small fruits and berries. They forage by gleaning, hover-gleaning, and sallying for prey.
The Crested Becard is primarily a diurnal and active species, often observed foraging alone or in pairs, though it frequently joins mixed-species flocks, particularly with tanagers and other tityrids. Foraging involves a combination of sallying for flying insects, gleaning arthropods from foliage...
The Crested Becard is a resident species found across a broad swathe of South America, primarily within the Amazon Basin and adjacent montane forests. Its distribution extends from eastern Colombia, eastern Ecuador, and eastern Peru, eastward through northern and central Brazil, and south to Boli...
Least Concern
- The Crested Becard's family, Tityridae, was only recently separated from the Tyrannidae (tyrant-flycatchers) and Cotingidae families, highlighting its unique evolutionary path. - Its nest is an architectural marvel: a large, enclosed, pendulous bag woven from plant fibers, designed to protect e...