The sets of n × n-palindromic,-anti-palindromic,-even, and-odd matrix pencils with rank at most r < n are algebraic subsets of the set of n × n matrix pencils. In this paper, we determine their dimension and we prove that they are all irreducible. This is in contrast with the non-structured case, since it is known that the set of n × n matrix pencils with rank at most r < n is an algebraic set with r + 1 irreducible components. We also show that these sets of structured pencils with bounded rank are the closure of the congruence orbit of a certain structured pencil given in canonical form. This allows us to determine the generic canonical form of a structured n × n matrix pencil with rank at most r, for any of the previous structures.