A practical guide to bird watching in Sonoma County, California
(Unless otherwise indicated, all phone numbers are in the 707 area code)
A practical guide to bird watching in Sonoma County, California
(Unless otherwise indicated, all phone numbers are in the 707 area code)
Mostly a summer bird in Sonoma County, but migrants pass through as well. Numbers begin to pick up in mid-April, but seems most abundant during autumn migration. Uncommon from mid-October to the following spring. Preferred habitats are wooded areas and wooded edges, especially near water, but may be seen in suburbs with appropriate habitat during migration. Winters in South America. Often seen flycatching from a perch. Tends to forage lower in the canopy than Olive-sided Flycatcher (Contopus cooperi) but higher than Pacific-slope Flycatcher (Empidonax difficilus). Breeds mostly in the wooded western parts of the county.
Western Wood-Pewee is a medium-sized, brownish flycatcher with a slight crest. Lacks a distinct eye-ring, which separates it from Pacific-slope Flycatcher, our most common flycatcher aside from the very different Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans). Brownish-olive above. Drabber and less green than most of the Empidonax flycatchers. Pale, slightly yellowish underparts but with dusky flanks and upper breast, which give it the look of wearing a vest (photo below). Narrow, indistinct wing bars. Smudgy undertail coverts. Fairly long wingtips. Often confused with Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii) during migration. The primary extension should be markedly longer than in Willow Flycatcher (see link below for more about primary extension). Comparatively short tail. Apparent shortness of tail accentuated by long primary extension.
Often seen flycatching from a perch, but Western Wood-Pewee tends to sit still, looking around for insects before flitting out to catch food, often returning immediately to the same perch. Note that pewees generally do not flick their tails like Empidonax flycatchers. In contrast, Willow Flycatcher appears fidgety, tending to change perches frequently, flicking its tail while perched. Aside from voice, that behavior is one of the best ways to separate Western Wood-Pewee and Willow Flycatcher when in doubt.
Voice: Western Wood-Pewee gives a nasal pee-yeee, or pee-eer, less clearly articulating “pee-wee” (from which the birds get their name) than Eastern Wood-Peewee (Cantopus virens). Willow Flycatcher says fitz-bew, often described as having a "sneezy" quality. Sibley describes this Willow Flycatcher vocalization as a "burry rrrEEP-yew." Call note is "whit." See links below to compare vocalizations.
Trivia: The Latin name sordidulus refers to the bird's "dirty" color.
Further reading:
Bolander and Parmeter, Birds of Sonoma County California, rev. ed., 2000, p. 81
Brinkley, National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Birds of North America, 2007, p. 307
Burridge, ed., Sonoma County Breeding Bird Atlas, 1995, p. 99
Dunn and Alderfer, eds., National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, 5th ed., 2006, p. 294
Dunn and Alderfer, eds., National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, 6th ed., 2011, p. 328
Ehrlich, Dobkin, and Wheye, The Birder's Handbook, paperback edition, 1988, p. 378
Fix and Bezener, Birds of Northern California, 2000, p. 241
Floyd, Smithsonian Field Guide to the Birds of North America, 2008, p. 289
Kaufman, Field Guide to Birds of North America, 2000, p. 238
Kaufman, Advanced Birding, 1990, pp. 180-183
Kaufman, Field Guide to Advanced Birding, 2011, pp. 344, 348
Lukas, Bay Area Birds: From Sonoma County to Monterey Bay, 2012, p. 177-178
Parmeter and Wight, Birds of Sonoma County California, Update (2000-2010), 2012, p. 48
Peterson, Field Guide to Birds of Western North America, 4th ed., 2010, p. 242
Peterson, Western Birds, 3rd ed., 1990, p. 236
Sibley, Field Guide to Birds of Western North America,1st ed., 2003, p. 280
Stokes, Stokes Field Guide to the Birds of North America, 1st ed., 2010, p. 454
Vuilleumier, American Museum of Natural History, Birds of North America: Western Region, 2011, p. 247
Voice: Cornell Lab of Ornithology: All About Birds--Western Wood Pewee
Voice: Cornell Lab of Ornithology: All About Birds--Willow Flycatcher
© Colin Talcroft, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
Unless noted, all photos by the author. If you would like to use one of my images, please ask for permission for non-commercial use with proper credit or commercial use with proper compensation.
Western Wood Pewee, Spring Lake, Santa Rosa, September 18, 2012
For comparison: Willow Flycatcher, Spring Lake, Santa Rosa, September 18, 2012
Note lack of eyering, comparatively heavy bill, short primary projection
Western Wood-Peewee
Willow Creek Rd., Jenner, May 18, 2013
Western Wood-Pewee
Contopus sordidulus
1990-2013 Sonoma County data. Graph provided by eBird (www.ebird.org), generated September 21, 2013
EBird reported occurrence in Sonoma County