White-winged Becard

Pachyramphus polychopterus

eBird describes the White-winged Becard like this:  Becards are reminiscent of flycatchers; they are medium-sized and have a rather flat head. Geographically variable: males in the north and west are gray with a black cap and back; in the Amazon primarily black overall, and both forms have bold black-and-white markings on wings. Female is nondescript with a rather plain face and pale yellowish underparts. Look for her buffy wingbars and buffy tips on the tail. Both sexes are similar to Black-and-white Becard; look for male’s black back and female’s plain head (lacking rufous cap and black eyeline). Singles or pairs are found in wooded areas but not usually inside mature forest; they prefer edges and second growth. Usually found at middle levels in trees.

I saw my first White-winged Becard at Blackrock Lodge on November 22, 2024, while on an outing with one of the guides named Jeffry.  I stayed three nights at Black Rock on my own, since my group from The Texas Ornithological Society had to cut our trip to Belize short due to complications with Tropical Storm Sara.  I am grateful for the services of my guide Jeffry, a very talented and amicable young man.  Below are some of the pictures I took that day of the White-winged Becard. I have had difficulty photographing several other Becards, and have found that they like to stay hidden and don’t stay put very long when they do provide an open shot.  As you can see from my photos, I did manage several fairly decent shots, a few of which show the White-winged Becard just after catching a bright green bug.