Crested Becard vs Green-backed Becard

Crested Becard

Pachyramphus validus

Small43 gForest

The crested becard is 17 to 18.5 cm (6.7 to 7.3 in) long. The species is sexually dimorphic. Though its crown is somewhat shaggy it does not have an obvious raised crest. Adult males of the nominate subspecies have a mostly dark grayish to almost black crown, upperparts, wings, and tail with a partially hidden white patch on the back and some white on the scapulars. They have a smoky gray spot above the lores on an otherwise grayish face. Their throat is whitish gray and their underparts pale smoky grayish with a cinnamon tinge. Voice: The crested becard is not highly vocal. It sometimes makes an "unstructured series of extr./very high, sharp rolling and strident see notes". Its song has also been described as "a low, clear, vibrating, descending series of 6–8 dui whistles" and its call "a shrill tsree whistle".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Andrii Khokhlov · CC BY 4.0

Green-backed Becard

Pachyramphus viridis

Small21 gForest

The green-backed becard is about 14.5 to 16 cm (5.7 to 6.3 in) long; two individuals of the nominate subspecies weighed 18 and 21 g (0.63 and 0.74 oz). Adult males of the nominate subspecies have a glossy black crown, whitish lores, and a thin yellowish eye-ring. The lower part of their face and their nape are pale gray. Their upperparts are mostly bright olive with dusky olive flight feathers and tail. Their throat is whitish, their breast bright yellow to olive yellow, and the rest of their underparts grayish white with a buffy tinge. Adult females have a similar pattern to males. Voice: The green-backed becard's song is starts abruptly and then is an "ascending and slightly decelerating series of 10-15 dee-dee--- notes or series of ascending jeh-weeé-- (6-20x)". Its usual call is "a fast, thin and nasal q-wink, q-wink that rises in pitch, and may be repeated up to 12 times".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Patricio Cowper Coles · CC BY 4.0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Crested Becard and Green-backed Becard.