The genus Pachyramphus was introduced in 1839 by the English zoologist George Robert Gray in the volume on birds by John Gould that formed part of Charles Darwin's Zoology of the Voyage of H.M.S.

[2][3][4] The type species was designated by Gray in 1840 as the green-backed becard (Pachyramphus viridis).

[6] The genus had traditionally been placed in Cotingidae or Tyrannidae, but evidence strongly suggests that it is better placed in the family Tityridae, where it is now placed by the IOC.

[11] Depending on the species, they are found in wooded habitats ranging from open woodland to the dense canopy of rainforests.

[10] Nests are typically wedged or slung from the outer branches of trees at the mid or upper levels.