Family Tityras and allies (Tityridae)
Least Concern
Black-and-white Becard (Pachyramphus albogriseus)
Taxonomy
French: Bécarde pie German: Graurückenbekarde Spanish: Anambé blanquinegro
Taxonomy:
Pachyramphus albo-griseus
P. L. Sclater
, 1857,“Bogotá”, Colombia
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Subspecies and Distribution
P. a. ornatus
Cherrie, 1891 – Costa Rica and W Panama (Chiriquí and Veraguas, possibly farther E).
P. a. coronatus
Phelps, Sr & Phelps, Jr, 1953 – N Colombia (SW slope of Santa Marta Mts, Sierra de Perijá) and extreme NW Venezuela (Sierra de Perijá).
P. a. albogriseus
P. L. Sclater, 1857 – NE Colombia (E slope of E Andes from N Norte de Santander S to N Boyacá) and N Venezuela (Andes from Lara S to S Táchira, also Yaracuy and Coastal Range from Carabobo E to W Sucre).
P. a. guayaquilensis
J. T. Zimmer, 1936 – W Ecuador (W Esmeraldas and Manabí S, including Puna I, to Guayas and El Oro).
P. a. salvini
Richmond, 1899 – SW Colombia (E Nariño), E Ecuador (apparently also crossing to Pacific slope in Carchi and Pichincha) and NW & C Peru (Pacific lowlands S to Lambayeque and Cajamarca, also E side of C Andes from Amazonas and San Martín S to Ayacucho and Cuzco).
Descriptive notes
13–14·5 cm; 18·5–26 g. Male has glossy black crown with slight bluish sheen, contrasting sharply with almost uniformly plain grey upperparts, pale grey line on... read more
Voice
Typical song, by male, a fast series of whistled notes, “syoo-syoo-syoo-syoo-syoo-swee”, “chew-... read more
Habitat
Upper levels of understorey and mid-levels of canopy, and interior (occasionally borders) of humid... read more
Food and feeding
Insects and fruit. Singly or in pairs; regularly joins mixed-species flocks. Generally perches calmly, scanning foliage for prey, often... read more
Breeding
Mar–Apr in Costa Rica. Nest bulky and globular, entrance hole near bottom, composed mostly of dead leaves, with some moss, bits of... read more
Movements
Resident.
Status and conservation
Not globally threatened. Uncommon to locally fairly common. Fairly common in Henri Pittier National Park, in Venezuela, and found also in Cerro Blanco Forest Reserve, Río... read more
See P. marginatus; molecular data#R indicate that present species is closest to P. polychopterus. Racial identity of birds in NW Ecuador uncertain, as both guayaquilensis and salvini seem to occur there; some revision of races probably necessary. Five subspecies currently recognized.