Contopus sordidulus
The Western Wood-Pewee (Contopus sordidulus) is a subtly plumaged, medium-sized flycatcher of the family Tyrannidae, averaging 14-16 cm in length, with a wingspan of 23-28 cm and weighing 12-14 grams. It exhibits dusky gray-olive upperparts, paler whitish underparts, and a distinctive, though often faint, dusky 'vest' of smudgy markings across the sides of the breast. Key identification marks include two pale, inconspicuous wing bars and a notably long primary projection, where the wingtips e...
Found in a variety of open forests, woodlands, and riparian corridors, favoring deciduous, coniferous, or mixed stands, typically at mid-to-high elevations in mountainous regions.
Primarily insectivorous, feeding on a wide range of flying insects such as flies, wasps, bees, beetles, and moths, occasionally supplementing with small berries; foraging exclusively via aerial hawking.
A diurnal species, the Western Wood-Pewee spends its active hours foraging and defending territory, roosting solitarily on concealed branches. It employs a classic 'sit-and-wait' foraging strategy, perching on exposed branches in the mid-story or canopy, sallying out to capture flying insects mid...
The breeding range of the Western Wood-Pewee spans western North America, extending from southeastern Alaska and across British Columbia, southward through the Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, and the Rocky Mountains, reaching into northern Baja California and parts of Arizona and New Mexico. It occ...
Least Concern
- The Western Wood-Pewee is one of two 'wood-pewee' species in North America, forming a cryptic species complex with the Eastern Wood-Pewee that is extremely difficult to distinguish visually. - Its name 'Pewee' is an onomatopoeic representation of its distinctive, plaintive call, which is often ...