Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...
A photo of a Western Wood Pewee (Contopus sordidulus)
Western Wood Pewee

Western Wood Pewee

Contopus sordidulus

The Western Wood Pewee, Contopus sordidulus, presents itself as a small, unassuming member of the tyrant flycatcher family. Its upperparts are cloaked in a subtle gray-olive hue, while the underparts remain a lighter shade, tinged with an olive wash across the breast. A distinctive feature includes two wing bars, and its bill is dark with a hint of yellow at the base of the lower mandible.

Identification Tips

When endeavoring to identify this elusive bird, look for its gray-olive upperparts contrasted with lighter underparts. The two wing bars are key visual markers, along with the dark bill accented with yellow at the base of the lower mandible. Its size is modest, with a length ranging from 5.5 to 6.3 inches (14-16 cm), a wingspan of about 10.2 inches (26 cm), and a weight between 0.4 and 0.5 ounces (11-14 g).

Habitat

The Western Wood Pewee is partial to open wooded areas, where it can be found during its breeding season in western North America.

Distribution

As the seasons turn and summer wanes, these birds embark on a migration to the verdant expanses of South America, leaving their North American breeding grounds behind.

Behaviour

In their natural theatre, Western Wood Pewees are often observed perched at a mid-level height within a tree. From this vantage point, they sally forth in flight to capture insects, a behavior known as hawking. They are also known to hover and delicately pluck insects from vegetation, a technique referred to as gleaning.

Song & Calls

The vocal repertoire of the Western Wood Pewee includes a loud, buzzy "peeer" call. Its song is a melodic sequence of three rapid descending "tsees" culminating in a descending "peeer."

Breeding

During the breeding season, the female Western Wood Pewee lays two or three eggs in an open cup nest. These nests are strategically placed on a horizontal tree branch or within a tree cavity, with California black oak forests being among the preferred nesting habitats. Both parents are involved in feeding the young, showcasing a shared commitment to the next generation.

Diet and Feeding

The diet of the Western Wood Pewee is primarily insectivorous, as evidenced by their adept insect-catching flights and their hovering maneuvers to glean insects from foliage.

Conservation status

The conservation status of the Western Wood Pewee is currently listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, indicating that, for now, this species does not face immediate threats to its survival.

Western Wood Pewee Sounds


Recorded by: © 
App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Western Wood Pewees on Birda

Photos
Sightings

More Tyrant Flycatchers, Calyptura

Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
David C
Very knowledgeable group
Nice friendly birding community. Very knowledgeable group with a willingness to help.
Nedz53
Really useful
Downloaded to give it a try, everything worked perfectly, recorded my first bird watching walk. Very impressed. Have already recommended to friends!
Robred 2
Fun way to add to your birdwatching experience
I enjoy watching birds in my backyard, but this app helped me really pay attention while on vacation this summer. It was fun to add new birds to my bird watching app.
SW H
Wonderful App
Birda is my go to app for keeping records of my bird sightings and sessions. It has fantastic information which is great at aiding identification. With all the updates that are coming in the new year, this app is something special.
SuperOliviaGirl
Really great app
It’s easy to use and it’s fun to log the birds you notice on a walk or just in your garden. There’s a option to record the birds you see in a session which is really nice. Good excuse to stop for a while and just watch birds. I am also enjoying the information part where you can find out fact about birds from all over the world.
Anonymous
The best bird logging app
Birda is honestly the best bird logging app I have seen. I love all the features it has from being able to do a session and log all the birds you see in one sitting, to being able to connect with other birders from all over the globe!
Carl B
Helped me to identify more birds
Love this app and has helped me to identify more birds. The challenges and badges are great for keeping the motivation going to get out and keep birding.
Jane N
A great app
Enjoying it immensely and finding it useful too. Recording the different birds and counting them is showing me how the present climate is affecting them all. I've trebled the numbers by planting native hedging. A great app.
Sacha0508
Simply fantastic
I love this app, it puts so much fun into recording the birds I’ve seen and heard while I’m out and about. The interface is user-friendly and suitable for all ages. It’s great to collect badges and to review my “lists”.
Pdydhdrexgi
Fantastic App
This is a really lovely app, for everyone interested in birds - from newbies to old hands. There is a very friendly feel to the community and you will genuinely learn a lot as you record your sightings and photos. There are lots of badges and competitions to keep you engaged, and a host of really useful features.
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.