Rose-throated Becard (Pachyramphus aglaiae), Just downstream from the crossing of Clark Crossing Rd. through the Santa Cruz R. near Carmen, Santa Cruz County

This worn female Rose-throated Becard was photographed by Dave Stejskal on 19 July 2011 along the Anza Trail just north of Clark Crossing Road, just north of the town of Carmen.

Once a regular breeding species in a few locations, Rose-throated Becard has almost disappeared from Arizona in recent years, with just a few recent records in south central Arizona. It has been found wintering a couple of times along Santa Cruz River along the Anza Trail just to the south of this site in the vicinity of Tumacacori, but this may be the first breeding season record for this species in this stretch of the Santa Cruz River, at least in modern times. Because of its near disappearance from the state as a breeder in recent years, and since it is no longer annual in the state, Rose-throated Becard has been placed on the Review Species List by the Arizona Bird Committee.

This individual is quite worn, but even so, you can see that the underpart color is pale buff, the crown is dark slate, and the wings and tail are mostly rusty. The plumage pattern in combination with the large-headed, large-eyed look are typical of this species.

19 July 2011, photo by Dave Stejskal