Wood-Pewee, Western

Latin name: Contopus sordidulus

Length, wingspan: 5.5″ to 6.25″, 10.5″

What they eat: Insects such as flies, moths, beetles, wasps, and grasshoppers.

Plants that attract: They prefer habitats of open pine forests or forests edging open fields, and also like dead tree snags for hunting perches. They nest in trees.

My observations: I don’t want to offend these cute little birds but their heads seem disproportionately large for their bodies! Perhaps that means they’re quite intelligent so they can outsmart the bugs they are hunting? And notice their large eyes, which is typical of insectivorous birds since they need great eyesight to spot all sorts of insects on the ground or buzzing about. I love their wing markings and how there’s a little tuft of feathers on the top of their heads. Their bodies and heads are grayish-brown and their wing and tail feathers are darker brown. You will mainly see them on a high perch when they’re hunting for a meal. This is the first Western Wood-Pewee I’ve seen in our garden, although my husband has spotted some in the past. We always love to welcome insect-eating birds to our landscape!

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