Western Wood-pewee

Contopus sordidulus

The Western Wood-Pewee is a very plain gray bird with few distinguishing marks, and is often only safely identified from similar Flycatchers by it's voice and range.  The eastern equivalent, the Eastern Wood-Pewee, looks almost exactly alike.  While they do overlap in range in a narrow band in the center of the country, it has never been shown that the two species interbreed with each other.  They are normally only found in the western part of South Dakota. 

Habitat: Can be found in a wide variety of open wooded habitats during the summer breeding season, especially cottonwood riparian areas along rivers and streams, groves of aspen and willow, and pine-oak woodlands.  Spends the winter months along forest edges and in second-growth forest in the tropics.

Diet: Feeds almost exclusively on insects, especially flying insects.  Will also occasionally eat berries.

Behavior: Does most foraging by flycatching, sitting on a perch and flying out to catch flying insects.  Does most of its singing at dawn and at dusk.

Nesting: June and July

Breeding Map: Breeding Bird Survey map

Song: Soft peeer whistle given year round.  Alternates clear notes with a descending bzeeyeeer on summer breeding grounds. 

Migration: Summers throughout the western half of North America, up through southwest Alaska.  Winters in South America. 

Similar Species: Eastern Wood-Pewee

Status: Still common in many locations, but has shown local declines in California and elsewhere.

Further Information: 1) USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter, Western Wood-Pewee

2) Cornell Lab of Ornithology - Western Wood-pewee

3) E-nature.com: Western Wood-Pewee

Photo Information: May 25th, 2008 - Custer State Park, Black Hills, South Dakota - Terry Sohl

Additional Photos: Click on the image chips or text links below for additional, higher-resolution Western Wood-pewee photos.