Western Wood-Pewee
The Western Wood-Pewee is generally found in more open, park-like woodlands than the Eastern Wood-Pewee and is thus more readily observed. In a few areas along the western edge of the Great Plains the two pewees occur together without interbreeding-conclusive evidence that despite their great similarity, they are distinct species.

The Western Wood-Pewee is a sparrow-sized flycatcher, dull olive-gray above, slightly paler below, with 2 whitish wing bars. The Eastern Wood-Pewee of the eastern United States is extremely similar, but generally less dark below. The two species are best distinguished by voice. The Western Wood-Pewee's voice is a harsh nasal pee-eeer, very different from the sweet peee-ah weee of the Eastern Wood-Pewee.

The Western Wood-Pewee catches most of its food by hawking from a perch such as a dead branch. It primarily eats insects, spiders and a few wild berries. It locates its nest on a horizontal limb or fork, in usually deciduous trees, generally 15 to 40 feet above the ground.

The Western Wood-Pewee breeds from eastern Alaska, Mackenzie and Manitoba south through western United States and winters in the tropics. It prefers open woodland, woodland edges and orchards.
Western Wood-Pewee Range Map

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