Eastern Wood-Pewee

Contopus virens

Order PASSERIFORMES - Family TYRANNIDAE - Subfamily Fluvicolinae

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1. Cool Facts
2. Description
3. Similar Species
4. Sound
5. Range
6. Habitat
7. Food
8. Behavior
9. Reproduction
10. Conservation Status
11. Other Names

One of the hallmark species of the Eastern deciduous forest, the Eastern Wood-Pewee is an inconspicuous dull brown bird of the middle canopy. Despite its abundance, this bird could be easily overlooked if not for its persistent "pee-ah-wee" song.

Cool Facts

• In a forest where several flycatcher species are found, the Eastern Wood-Pewee forages higher in the trees than the Least and Acadian flycatchers, but lower down than the Great Crested Flycatcher.

• One potential cause of the decline of Eastern Wood-Pewee populations is the overpopulation of white-tailed deer in the Eastern forests. In areas with high deer density, the intermediate canopy is disturbed by browsing, affecting the foraging space of the flycatcher.

• The Eastern and Western wood-pewees are very difficult to tell apart visually. Their breeding ranges overlap only in a very narrow zone in the Great Plains. Despite their similarity, no evidence has ever been found that the two species interbreed in that area.

Description

• Size: 15 cm (6 in)
• Wingspan: 23-26 cm (9-10 in)
• Weight: 10-19 g (0.35-0.67 ounces)

• Medium-sized flycatcher.
• Grayish olive above.
• Pale below, with darker wash on breast and sides.
• Whitish wingbars.
• No eyering or only a faint one.

• Upright posture.
• Flycatches from perches and returns to same perch.
• Slight crest on head.
• Dark bill with yellow base to lower mandible.

Sex Differences

Sexes alike in plumage, male slightly larger.

Immature

Juvenile similar to adult, but wingbars buffier.

Similar Species

• Not safely distinguishable from Western Wood-Pewee by sight, only by song. Western has a harsh, buzzy "peer" instead of the clear whistled song of the Eastern.
• Olive-sided Flycatcher has more indistinct wingbars, and larger and darker patches on the side of the breast that contrast strongly with a white center; also occasionally shows white tufts on the sides of the rump.
• Eastern Phoebe persistently wags its tail, has an all-dark bill, and has only indistinct wingbars or lacks them entirely.
• Distinguished from Empidonax flycatchers by weak, broken eyering and dirty smudging under tail.

Sound

Song is a slurred whistled "pee-ah-wee," rising on last note. Also a downslurred "wee-ur."

»listen to songs of this species

Range

Summer Range

Breeds from southeastern Saskatchewan eastward to Nova Scotia, and southward to central Texas and northern Florida.

Winter Range

Winters in northern South America.

Habitat

• Breeds in all woodland types in the East.
• Winters in partially cleared shrubby habitats and secondary forests.

Food

Flying insects.

Behavior

Foraging

Flies out from perch in middle part of understory to catch a flying insect and then returns to the same perch.

Reproduction

Nest Type

A shallow cup of woven grass covered on outside with lichens. Lined with hair, grass, moss, lichens, and plant fibers. Placed on horizontal limb of tree.

Egg Description

Milky white with purplish speckles around large end.

Clutch Size

Usually 2-4 eggs.

Condition at Hatching

Helpless and with some down.

Conservation Status

Populations declining throughout range, but not listed as of special concern anywhere.

Other Names

Pioui de l'Est (French)

Sources used to construct this page:

McCarty, J. P. 1996. Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens). In The Birds of North America, No. 245 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornthologists' Union, Washington, D.C.