Eastern Wood-Pewee
Contopus virens
The Eastern Wood-Pewee is a 'sit-and-wait' predator; it spends much of its time perched motionlessly before making a sudden sally to catch an insect.
- Scientific name
- Contopus virens
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Passeriformes › Tyrannidae › Contopus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- decreasing
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Deciduous and mixed forests, woodlots, and forest clearings.
- Diet
- Insectivorous, specializing in flying insects like flies, beetles, moths, and bees.
- Range
- Eastern United States, Southeastern Canada, Central America, Northwestern South America
- Size
- 15 cm in length with a 23-26 cm wingspan; weighs roughly 14 grams.
- Lifespan
- Approximately 7 years in the wild.
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat loss and fragmentation, decline in insect populations due to pesticide use, and collisions with glass during migration.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless to humans. These birds are sensitive to disturbance during nesting; maintain a respectful distance of at least 15 feet. Use binoculars for observation to avoid causing the bird to abandon its perch or nest.
The eastern wood pewee ( Contopus virens ) is a small tyrant flycatcher from North America. This bird and the western wood pewee ( C. sordidulus ) were formerly considered to be a single species. The two species are virtually identical in appearance, and can be distinguished most easily by their calls.
Photo: Juan Carlos Caicedo Hernández, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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