Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 5.9 in
15 cm - Wingspan
- 9.1–10.2 in
23–26 cm - Weight
- 0.4–0.7 oz
10–19 g
Other Names
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.
Habitat
Forest
- Breeds in all woodland types in the East.
- Winters in partially cleared shrubby habitats and secondary forests.
Food
Insects
Flying insects.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Egg Description
- Milky white with purplish speckles around large end.
- Condition at Hatching
- Helpless and with some down.
Nest Description
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.
Nest Placement
Tree
Behavior
Flycatching
Flies out from perch in middle part of understory to catch a flying insect and then returns to the same perch.
Conservation
Least Concern
Populations declining throughout range, but not listed as of special concern anywhere.
Credits
- 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.