The bearded tachuri is a Near Threatened species of bird in subfamily Elaeniinae of family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in every mainland South American country except Chile, Ecuador, and Peru.
Region
South America
Typical Environment
Occurs widely across mainland South America, absent only from Chile, Ecuador, and Peru. It occupies open grasslands, wet savannas, cerrado-type campos, pampas, marsh edges, and occasionally lightly grazed pastures and rice fields. The species prefers areas with tall, coarse grasses or sedges that provide perches and nest sites, and it avoids dense forest. Local abundance varies with fire and flooding regimes, and it is reduced by intensive agriculture and overgrazing.
Altitude Range
0–1500 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Despite its name, the “beard” is a small patch of dark malar feathers that is most evident in males when seen well. The bearded tachuri favors natural grasslands with tall tussocks and scattered shrubs and is sensitive to heavy grazing and conversion to cropland. It often perches on grass stems and makes short sallies to catch insects. The species is assessed as Near Threatened due to ongoing habitat loss across South American grasslands.
Polystictus pectoralis Gould, 1839
P. p. pectoralis
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly or in pairs, holding small territories within suitable grassland patches. Nests are placed low in dense grasses or sedges; clutch size is typically small, and both parents participate in care. Displays include short vertical flights and conspicuous perching on grass stems.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Song is a thin, high-pitched series of chips and trills delivered from exposed perches. Calls include sharp tseet notes and soft contact calls while foraging.
Plumage
Small, upright flycatcher with olive-brown upperparts and buff to pale underparts, often with fine dusky streaking on the breast. Throat is pale with contrasting dark malar feathering that forms the namesake “beard.” A faint pale supercilium and subtle wingbars may be visible; tail is short and often flicked.
Diet
Primarily hunts small flying and crawling insects such as flies, beetles, hemipterans, and small orthopterans, and may take small spiders. It employs short sallies from low perches and also gleans prey from grass stems and seedheads. Foraging is typically low to the ground where insect density is high in dense grass clumps.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in open, moist to seasonally wet grasslands, marsh edges, and lightly grazed pastures with tall tussocks. Frequently uses emergent stems and fence lines as vantage points for flycatching.
