Photo: JerryFriedman / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Western Wood Pewee
Contopus sordidulus
Western Wood Pewee (Contopus sordidulus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of North America.
Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Western Wood Pewee (Contopus sordidulus) is a member of the Tyrannidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 13.1 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Tyrannidae Tyrant Flycatchers, Calyptura
- Genus Contopus
- Species sordidulus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 13.1 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Western Wood Pewee is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Western Wood Pewee is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Western Wood Pewee (Contopus sordidulus) belongs to the Tyrannidae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Central America & Caribbean and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA w.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 13.1 g, with a wing length of about 8.3 cm and a tail of around 6 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 6.9 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Western Wood Pewee?
The Western Wood Pewee is a very small bird that weighs around 13.1 g.
Where does the Western Wood Pewee live?
The Western Wood Pewee is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA w, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Western Wood Pewee belong to?
The Western Wood Pewee (Contopus sordidulus) belongs to the Tyrannidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Western Wood Pewee eat?
The Western Wood Pewee is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Western Wood Pewee migrate?
The Western Wood Pewee is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Western Wood Pewee endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Western Wood Pewee make?
1 real field recording of the Western Wood Pewee — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Western Wood Pewee's range?
The Western Wood Pewee has a mapped global range of about 6.9 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
More in Tyrannidae
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
More in Songbirds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Guides for this bird
Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds
How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.
Meet the Tyrannidae
A field guide to the Tyrannidae family — 444 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.