Rose-throated Becard

Pachyramphus aglaiae

OrderPasseriformes

FamilyTityridae

HabitatRiparian woodland along rivers and resacas

SeasonVery rare visitor to the Lower Rio Grande Valley, mostly fall and winter

LocationSanta Margarita Ranch, Starr County, Texas, Starr County, Texas

Size6.5-7 inches

DietInsects and some berries

ConservationLeast Concern (IUCN)

CameraNikon Z9Lens800mmAperturef/8Shutter1/1600ISO1250

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Rose-throated Becard, one of the rarest Texas specialties, at Santa Margarita Ranch.

About the Rose-throated Becard

The Rose-throated Becard is a stocky, big-headed bird with a dark cap. Males are gray with a rosy pink throat patch, and females are warm brown and buff with a dark crown. It sits quietly in the canopy and sallies out to snatch insects from leaves.

It is best known for its nest, a huge hanging ball of plant fibers that can be the size of a football, slung from the end of a branch high over a stream. The species bred in the Lower Rio Grande Valley in the past but is now one of the rarest regular specialties in Texas.

These photographs were made on September 24, 2025, at Santa Margarita Ranch in Starr County, a private ranch along the Rio Grande that is visited only with guided birding groups.

Want to see a Rose-throated Becard in the wild?
Join one of my guided birding tours! Fine art prints of my photos are also available.

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