Black-and-white Becard

How to find it

Check the edges of mixed flocks in highland forest, because that is where several observers have found it. Start early. At El Copal Biological Reserve the best activity in the big mixed flocks along the upper trail was from 6 to 8 am. At El Toucanet a guide heard several singing at dawn but saw none during the day, so learn the song before you go. Look high as well: at Quebrada Gonzalez a female was in the canopy with tanagers and Baltimore Orioles, and most birds in the flocks there were way up. Once you find a female perched, she may sit quietly for long periods.

How to recognise it

This is a small bird, about 13 to 15 cm long and 16 to 26 g. Look first at the male's gray back and the black border on the female's chestnut crown.

The male:

- mostly gray, with a glossy blue-black cap

- a white stripe over the eye that joins a broken white eye-ring

- pale gray underparts

- black wings with wide white edges that show as wing bars

The female looks quite different:

- a chestnut-brown crown with a wide black band along its lower edge

- a white stripe over the eye with a black line through it

- an olive back

- yellowish underparts

What it sounds like

Recording: Niels Krabbe, CC BY-SA 4.0, source, read 5 Nov 2026.

Behaviour and diet

The becard usually forages alone or in pairs and often joins mixed-species flocks. It eats small fruit and large insects, taking them in short flights or by hovering to pick them off surfaces.

A Costa Rican naturalist watched a female alone near a mixed flock. She hunted insects and perched quietly for long periods, which made her easy to watch. A guide who calls the species sneaky has seen it both alone and with mixed flocks.

Where it lives

The Black-and-white Becard lives in humid foothill and mountain forest with a dense understory. In Central America it is found at roughly 750 to 1,800 m elevation.

In Costa Rica it prefers the upper understory and canopy of wet forest, and it is sometimes seen at forest edges and in adjacent tall second growth. It is a mountain forest bird here. The Costa Rican and western Panamanian form ranges from the Cordillera de Tilarán in northwestern Costa Rica south to western Panama.

When to see it

Males sing mostly at dawn and in the early morning, so early starts are best for hearing them. A Costa Rican guide thinks the becard is probably seasonal at Quebrada Gonzalez, because it seems to move up and down the slope.

Similar birds

The White-winged Becard is the species most likely to share its range. The male looks somewhat similar, but it prefers lowland habitats and is easier to find, and its back is black, not gray. In the female, look for the black border on the chestnut crown.

Barred Becard is another highland becard in Costa Rica. It is usually found by its voice and stays with groups of foraging birds. It has narrow black barring below, which no other becard has, and the female has a gray cap, yellow underparts and a green back. The Black-and-white Becard lacks the barring.

Names and lore in Costa Rica

The AOCR Spanish name is Cabezón Cejiblanco. Other Spanish names are cabezón blanquinegro, cabezón blanco y negro and anambé blanquinegro. Cabezón means big-headed, from the large, flat-looking head shared by the becards.

Status and conservation

The AOCR list marks it as a resident (R), the IUCN rates it Least Concern, and it is considered rare in Costa Rica.

Photography tips

A perched female that sits quietly for long periods is the best subject, so watch the edges of mixed flocks and be patient. Look high in the canopy, where most flock birds were found at Quebrada Gonzalez.