<trp-post-container data-trp-post-id='359798'>Rose-throated Becard

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En bref

  • Scientific Name: Pachyramphus aglaiae
  • Spanish Name: Becardo gorgirrosado
  • Family: Tityridae
  • Known Nicknames: Rose-throated Becard, Aglaia Becard
  • Longueur moyenne : 15 à 18 cm / 5,9 à 7,1 pouces
  • Average Weight: 20–30 g / 0.71–1.06 oz
  • Wingspan: 25–30 cm / 9.8–11.8 in
  • Key Feature: Male has a striking rose-pink throat and breast
  • Primary Diet: Primarily Insectivore and Frugivore
  • Range: Southern Texas (USA) through Mexico and Central America to western Panama
  • Habitat: Tropical lowland and foothill forests, edges, and riparian woodlands
  • Social Structure: Solitary or in pairs, sometimes joins mixed-species flocks
  • Nesting/Breeding: Large, domed nest of plant fibers and moss, often suspended from a branch
  • Statut de conservation : Préoccupation mineure (LC)
  • Évolution démographique : Stable

The Rose-throated Becard (*Pachyramphus aglaiae*) is a striking, medium-sized passerine bird found from Mexico through Central America, where it inhabits forest edges and riverine woodlands. The male is especially distinctive with his glossy black cap, gray back, and a vivid, rosy-pink throat and breast that give the species its name, contrasting sharply with a pale belly. Females are more subdued, featuring a warm brown head and a buffy throat. A unique feature of this becard is its large, messy, globular nest—often built in the open and suspended from a branch—which can reach over two feet in length and serves as a communal roost for the family. Despite its resemblance to a flycatcher, the rose-throated becard is actually a member of the Tityridae family, and its soft, whistled calls and deliberate, sallying flight make it a charismatic resident of tropical canopies.

Faits amusants

Despite its name, the male’s rosy throat patch is often completely hidden unless he sings or tilts his head back, making it a secret flash of color. This bird is a master of architectural deception: it builds a massive, globular nest with a side entrance that looks like a clump of hanging moss or debris, often placed near wasp nests to deter predators. The female incubates the eggs alone, but the male fiercely defends the territory by mimicking the calls of hawks to scare off intruders. Remarkably, they sometimes practice “anting,” rubbing ants on their feathers to use the formic acid as a natural insecticide against parasites.

Habitats et répartition

The Rose-throated Becard occupies a broad range of tropical and subtropical environments, primarily in lowland and foothill regions. It is most commonly found in semi-open habitats such as forest edges, clearings, riverine galleries, and second-growth woodland, but it also frequents coffee plantations, citrus groves, and other shaded agricultural areas. It generally avoids the interior of dense, mature rainforest, preferring areas with scattered tall trees for nesting and perching. Geographically, its distribution spans from central Mexico through Central America, including Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, and extends into western Panama. There is also a disjunct, isolated population in the Pacific-slope lowlands of southwestern Mexico (e.g., Jalisco to Oaxaca). The species is resident throughout its range, showing no migratory movements, though it may make local seasonal shifts in response to fruit availability.

Comportements & Reproduction

The rose-throated becard is generally observed as a solitary or pair-living species, with males and females maintaining a monogamous bond during the breeding season. Courtship involves the male performing fluttering flights and offering food to the female, strengthening the pair bond. A notable reproductive strategy is their use of a large, globular nest, often woven from plant fibers and placed high in a tree, which serves as a secure chamber for the eggs. The female typically lays 3-4 eggs and handles most of the incubation, while the male assists by bringing food to the nest and defending the territory. After hatching, both parents actively feed the chicks, demonstrating biparental care until the young fledge. There is no evidence of cooperative breeding or complex social hierarchies beyond the nuclear family unit.

Alimentation

The Rose-throated Becard is primarily an insectivore, with a diet consisting largely of a wide variety of insects and spiders, including beetles, caterpillars, and grasshoppers, which it typically gleans from foliage or catches in short sallies from a perch. Interestingly, it also consumes a significant amount of fruit, particularly small berries and figs, making it an important seed disperser in its tropical habitat. This flexibility allows it to adapt to seasonal changes in food availability, and unlike many flycatchers, it will occasionally eat small lizards or tree frogs, though this is rare. The becard often forages in the mid to upper canopy, sometimes joining mixed-species flocks to exploit a broader range of prey.

Couleurs

The male Rose-throated Becard has a dark gray to black cap and back, contrasting with a white collar, pale gray underparts, and a distinctive rosy-pink throat patch. Females are duller, with a brown cap, buffy throat, and faint cinnamon wash on the breast. Both sexes have a stout, hooked bill and lack strong camouflage adaptations, though the female’s muted brown tones provide some concealment in woodland canopies.

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