The Jamaican becard is a species of bird in the family Tityridae. Its genus, Pachyramphus, has traditionally been placed in Cotingidae or Tyrannidae, but evidence strongly suggest it is better placed in Tityridae.
Region
Greater Antilles
Typical Environment
Endemic to Jamaica, it occupies evergreen and semi-evergreen broadleaf forests, wet limestone hills, and montane mist forests. It also uses secondary growth, wooded ravines, and forest edges, and may persist in shade-grown plantations where canopy structure remains. Birds typically forage from the mid-story to the canopy, moving deliberately among foliage. While sensitive to extensive deforestation, the species tolerates moderate habitat disturbance if tree cover is retained.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1800 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Jamaican becard is a small passerine in the family Tityridae, a group that was historically placed in Tyrannidae or Cotingidae before molecular evidence clarified its relationships. It forages methodically in the mid to upper canopy and often joins mixed-species flocks. Like other becards, it builds a large, globular hanging nest with a side entrance. It is a quiet, unobtrusive resident of Jamaica’s forests and wooded edges.
Temperament
quiet and deliberate
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats between perches
Social Behavior
Usually found singly or in pairs, sometimes accompanying mixed-species flocks in the canopy. Pairs defend small territories during the breeding season. The nest is a bulky, globular structure suspended from a branch with a side entrance. Both parents likely participate in care of the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song consists of soft, clear whistles delivered in short, repeated phrases, often from concealed perches. Calls include thin tsip notes and low, buzzy chips. Vocalizations are modest in volume and can be easily overlooked in dense foliage.
Plumage
Male is predominantly sooty to slate-black with subtly paler throat and fine gray edging on some feathers; female is warm olive-brown above with buffy to cinnamon underparts and a duller face. Both sexes show a stout, slightly hooked bill and fairly plain wings with minimal barring.
Diet
Feeds primarily on arthropods such as caterpillars, beetles, and small orthopterans, gleaned from leaves and twigs. It supplements its diet with small fruits and berries, especially when insect prey is less abundant. The species sometimes hover-gleans and may make short sallies to capture flushed prey. Opportunistic feeding at fruiting trees can occur alongside other canopy birds.
Preferred Environment
Forages in mid- to upper-story strata of forests, along edges, and in mature second growth. Frequently works the outer foliage of broadleaf trees and visits fruiting or flowering trees within forest patches and wooded ravines.
