Wood Pewee (contopus sp.)
The bird of this painting ranges from the east coast through the
Mississippi Valley, where its range meets that of the western pewee.
They are hard to tell apart visually, although the songs are quite
different. Both species also look like eastern phoebes, so spotting
this bird with assurance requires some study. The names of all these
birds are based upon their calls, and all are flycatchers.
The pewees like groves of mixed trees, and at twilight the eastern
species sings a plaintive whistled song that is longer and more varied
than its daylight song. You are much more likely to see or hear these
birds in outer suburbia housing areas than in the inner city or on
shopping center parking lots, since they require tall trees and cannot
be heard above traffic noises.