FIRST CONFIRMED RECORD OF WHITE-WINGED BECARD FOR MEXICO 
Figure 2. The habitat of rough pasture where the White-winged Becard was observed is typical of large areas of Chiapas, and indeed much 
of Middle America, where deforestation has fueled range expansion in many species that favor open-country and edge habitats. Photo- 
graph by Frank Stermitz. 
Figure 3. In comparison to adult male Gray-collared Becard, adult male White-winged Becard shows darker gray underparts and more ex- 
tensive black in the crown that extends below the eye and lacks a sharp contrast between the black of the crown and gray of the cheek. 
Photograph by David Salas. 
home that bordered the busy highway. 
These birds were seeking food in a more ex- 
posed area than normal and were tolerating 
closer contact with conspecifics than is typ- 
ical. It is possible that the series of cool, wet 
days caused many species, including the 
White-winged Becard, to participate in 
feeding flocks in more exposed settings 
than typical for the flocks themselves as 
well as for the individual species. 
Description 
The bird showed the size, shape, and profile 
of a becard. Readily apparent was the overall 
darker gray color of this individual relative to 
the other three congeners that regularly occur 
in Chiapas: Cinnamon Becard (P cinnamo- 
mais), Gray-collared Becard (P major), and 
Rose-throated Becard (P aglaiac). The stark 
blackish and gray tones indicate an adult male 
becard; females and younger males show 
brownish or russet tones above. Overall size 
and shape of both the body and the tail were 
most similar to Gray-collared Becard; howev- 
er, the body color was darker gray than that 
species’, including the entire face below the 
eye, and the throat, breast, belly, and upper 
tail coverts. The rich blackish crown reached 
down to the dark eye, through the forehead to 
the bill, and from the rear of the crown down 
the nape. No supraloral stripe was evident, 
and there was no gray hind-collar. The black 
color of the nape continued unbroken along 
the length of the back down to the grayish up- 
per tail coverts. When the bird was perched, 
the blackish graduated tail showed bright 
white outer rectrices, which were even more 
prominent when the bird took flight. Nearly 
half of the total wing area showed white, with 
a prominent white scapular stripe and exten- 
sive white feather edging on the coverts, ter- 
tials, and secondaries. The bill was a darkish 
metallic color that often appeared shiny dur- 
ing the quick hunting sallies. The legs and feet 
were a dusky color. The bird’s plumage is con- 
sistent with the northern subspecies 
cinerciventris, found north to Belize. 
Discussion 
White-winged Becard had not previously 
been documented with photographs in 
Mexico. The sole prior report was from 23 
July 1983 at Palenque, Chiapas, by Andres 
M. Sada and Juan I. Sada (pers. comm.). 
The brief sighting involved a darker-bod- 
ied becard than Gray-collared but other- 
wise lacks key details. This sight record is 
the basis for inclusion of White-winged Be- 
card in Sada (1989). Howell and Webb 
(1995) list this species as resident on the 
Atlantic slope from southern Belize south- 
VOIUME 63 (2009) • NUMBER 3 
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