Species › Birds › Eastern Wood-Pewee

Eastern Wood-Pewee

Contopus virens

CommonBird
Illustration of Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens)

The Eastern Wood-Pewee is a medium-sized flycatcher of deciduous forests whose slow, plaintive 'pee-a-wee' whistle is one of the defining sounds of summer woodlands. It is nearly identical to the Western Wood-Pewee and best distinguished by range and voice. It builds a compact, lichen-decorated cup nest on a horizontal tree limb, blending in so well the nest is nearly invisible.

Habitat
Deciduous and mixed forests, particularly mid-canopy
Diet
Flying insects caught in aerial sallies from perches
How common
Common

Best time to see a Eastern Wood-Pewee

The best time to see a Eastern Wood-Pewee is May–August, when about 67% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 21,160 research-grade iNaturalist observations.

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