Eastern Wood-Pewee

Contopus virens

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
FamilyTyrannidae (Tyrant Flycatchers)
GenusContopus (Pewees)
SpeciesContopus virens (Eastern Wood-Pewee)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Cape Breton Highlands National Park

3 Verified sightings at Cape Breton Highlands National Park From 2019 to 2026

27,204 Verified sightings across all 73 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Eastern Wood-Pewee

The eastern wood pewee (Contopus virens) is a small tyrant flycatcher from North, Central and South America. This bird and the western wood pewee (C. sordidulus) were formerly considered a single species. The two species are virtually identical in appearance, and can be distinguished most easily by their calls.

In 1760, the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson included a description of the eastern wood pewee in his Ornithologie based on a specimen collected in the Carolinas. He used the French name Le gobe-mouche cendré de la Coroline and the Latin Muscicapa Carolinensis cinerea. Although Brisson coined Latin names, these do not conform to the binomial system and are not recognised by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. When in 1766 the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus updated his Systema Naturae for the twelfth edition, he added 240 species that had been previously described by Brisson. One of these was the eastern wood pewee. Linnaeus included a brief description, coined the binomial name Muscicapa virens and cited Brisson's work. The specific name virens is Latin for "green". This species is now placed in the genus Contopus that was introduced... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Cape Breton Highlands National Park

Contopus cooperi

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Empidonax minimus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Empidonax alnorum

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Empidonax flaviventris

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Sayornis phoebe

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Tyrannus tyrannus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Junco hyemalis

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Turdus migratorius

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Corvus brachyrhynchos

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Poecile atricapillus

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Setophaga coronata

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Zonotrichia albicollis

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Point Pelee National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~30%
2	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
3	Shenandoah National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~30%
4	Cahuita National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
5	Congaree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~20%
6	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~20%
7	San Lorenzo Protected Forest	🇵🇦 Panama	~20%
8	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
9	Parque Natural Metropolitano	🇵🇦 Panama	~20%
10	Darién National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~20%
11	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
12	Pico Bonito National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~20%
13	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~20%
14	Cusuco National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~20%
15	Biotopo Cerro Cahuí	🇬🇹 Guatemala	~20%
16	Chagres National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
17	Tikal National Park	🇬🇹 Guatemala	~10%
18	La Tigra National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~10%
19	Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~10%
20	Yasuní National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~10%
21	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
22	Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
23	Amacayacu National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
24	Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	🇧🇿 Belize	~10%
25	Madidi National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	~10%
26	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
27	Cañón del Sumidero National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
28	Rincón de la Vieja National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
29	Calakmul Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
30	Tenorio Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
31	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
32	Celaque National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~10%
33	Lago de Yojoa	🇭🇳 Honduras	~10%
34	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
35	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
36	Acadia National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
37	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
38	Puracé National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
39	Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
40	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
41	Tambopata National Reserve	🇵🇪 Peru	<5%
42	Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
43	Cordillera Azul National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	<5%
44	Sierra de la Macarena National Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
45	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
46	Volcán Barú National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
47	Isle Royale National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
48	Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
49	Poás Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
50	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
51	Chirripó National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
52	Podocarpus National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
53	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
54	Manu National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	<5%
55	Ciénaga de Zapata	🇨🇺 Cuba	<5%
56	Irazú Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
57	Farallones de Cali National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
58	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
59	Chingaza National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
60	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
61	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
62	Los Nevados National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
63	Los Quetzales National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
64	Tayrona National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
65	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
66	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
67	Masaya Volcano National Park	🇳🇮 Nicaragua	<5%
68	Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
69	Ostional Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
70	Cape Breton Highlands National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	Insufficient data
71	Amboró National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	Insufficient data
72	Anavilhanas National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	Insufficient data
73	Big Cypress National Preserve	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data

← Back to Cape Breton Highlands National Park

Eastern Wood-Pewee

About the Eastern Wood-Pewee

Recent sightings of Eastern Wood-Pewee in Cape Breton Highlands National Park

Closest Relatives at Cape Breton Highlands National Park

Olive-sided Flycatcher

Least Flycatcher

Alder Flycatcher

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

Eastern Phoebe

Eastern Kingbird

Dark-eyed Junco

American Robin

American Crow

Black-capped Chickadee

Yellow-rumped Warbler

White-throated Sparrow

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found