Pachyramphus major
The Grey-collared Becard, *Pachyramphus major*, is a striking passerine bird, medium-sized for a becard, measuring 15-18 cm (6-7 inches) in length and weighing 25-35 grams. Males are particularly distinctive, sporting a glossy black crown, grey upperparts, and a prominent white to pale grey nuchal collar that contrasts sharply with their black cap and back. They also feature a conspicuous white patch on their wings and variable yellowish underparts depending on the subspecies. Females, in con...
Found in humid to semi-humid montane pine-oak and evergreen forests, cloud forests, and forest edges, typically at elevations between 800 and 2500 meters.
Primarily insectivorous, feeding on beetles, caterpillars, orthopterans, and other arthropods, supplemented by small fruits and berries, obtained by gleaning from foliage or making short aerial sallies.
Grey-collared Becards are diurnal birds, usually observed singly or in pairs, actively foraging within the mid to upper canopy of their forest habitats. They employ a 'sit-and-wait' foraging strategy, gleaning insects and small fruits from foliage or making short aerial sallies to catch flying pr...
The Grey-collared Becard is a resident species, distributed across a significant portion of Mesoamerica. Its range extends from the humid montane forests of central and eastern Mexico, through the Sierra Madre Occidental and Oriental, south through Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and...
Least Concern
- The Grey-collared Becard is famous for its ingenious nesting strategy, often constructing its elaborate, pendulous nest directly adjacent to or even underneath an active wasp nest, providing a natural deterrent against predators. - Its taxonomic placement has historically been debated, moving f...