Cinnamon Becard
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| Pachyramphus cinnamomeus Lawrence, 1861 |
The Cinnamon Becard, Pachyramphus cinnamomeus, is a passerine bird which is a resident breeding species from southeastern Mexico south to northwestern Ecuador and northwestern Venezuela. Becards and tityras were formerly considered to be cotingas, but are now usually included in the large tyrant flycatcher family. They are also sometimes given their own family, the Tityridae.
The Cinnamon Becard is found in open woodland including forest edges and breaks, mangroves, and second growth. The nest, built by the female at the tip of a high tree branch 2.5-15 m up, is a spherical structure of plant material with a low entrance, which for protection is often built near a wasp nest. The typical clutch is 3-4 olive brown-blotched brownish white eggs, laid between March and July and incubated by the female alone for 18-20 days to hatching. The male helps to feed the young.
The adult Cinnamon Becard is 14 cm long and weighs 17-22 g. It is rufous above and paler cinnamon below, with a grey bill and legs. Unlike other becards, the sexes are similar, but the young are brighter above and paler overall. Northern birds have a pale supercilium and dusky line from the bill to the eye, but the form P. c. magdalenae west of the Andes shows more contrast, with a stronger supercilium and blackish loral line.
The calls include high thin whistles. The male’s song is a plaintive ascending dee dee dee dee dee dee de and the female’s is a weaker deeeu dew dew, dew dew.
Cinnamon Becards pick large insects and spiders off the foliage in flight. They also regularly hover to take small berries.
[edit] References
- Hilty, Birds of Venezuela ISBN 0-7136-6418-5
- Stiles and Skutch, A guide to the birds of Costa Rica ISBN 0-08-149600-4
