Bearded Tachuri

The Bearded Tachuri (Polystictus pectoralis) is a near-threatened species that has a very local and disjunct distribution primarily across eastern South America.

Female Bearded Tachuri, near Karanambu Lodge, North Rupununi, Guyana. (Photo by Kester Clarke www.kesterclarke.net)

It is suspected that the decline in this species is due to the conversion of native grasslands to agriculture. Males have a largely black head, with a white stripe in front of the eye, rufous underparts, and largely brown upperparts. Females lack the black feathering on the head, but do possess a pale supercilium.