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Eastern Wood-Peewee(?) - Central Ohio, U.S. (1 Viewer)

prweasel

Well-known member
I shot this bird sitting at the top of a small tree this morning in a field in a park just north of Columbus, Ohio. Some other shots I have of it singing show that the lower beak and the inside of the upper beak are an orangish-yellow. The underside is kind of a grayish-white.

There have been several instances in the past when I thought an image was an Eastern Wood-Peewee, but someone corrects the identification to a type of Flycatcher - either Acadian, Willow or Alder.

Is this one a Wood-Peewee?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

pat
 

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I shot this bird sitting at the top of a small tree this morning in a field in a park just north of Columbus, Ohio. Some other shots I have of it singing show that the lower beak and the inside of the upper beak are an orangish-yellow. The underside is kind of a grayish-white.

There have been several instances in the past when I thought an image was an Eastern Wood-Peewee, but someone corrects the identification to a type of Flycatcher - either Acadian, Willow or Alder.

Is this one a Wood-Peewee?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

pat

Hi Pat,

First of all, that is a terrific shot!

This one too is an Empidonax, and it is either a Willow or an Alder. The bird's structure and pattern of the wing bars rule out a wood-pewee, though Willow and Alder are the two Empidonax most routinely confused with wood-pewees.

Was it singing FITZ-bew (Willow) or f'BEE-oo (Alder)? In the links I've provided, scroll down to their sound link and have a listen:
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Willow_Flycatcher_dtl.html#sound
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Alder_Flycatcher_dtl.html#sound

Both of these species give raspy, buzzy sounding songs, whereas the Eastern Wood-Pewee gives a high-pitched whistled song that is easily mimicked. You would probably remember if the bird had a loud, whistled tune.

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Eastern_Wood-Pewee.html#sound

I guess if it were actually on territory there, that would favor a Willow Flycatcher, and visually, there is nothing wrong with its being a Willow.

Chris
 
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Chris:

Thanks. At least I'm consistent with my misidentification. And thanks for the compliment on the photo.

When I was close enough to hear it over the other birds (lots of sparrows and red-winged blackbirds around) it was primarily making a one-syllable sound with its head tilted back.

I'll go ahead and call it a Willow Flycatcher when I post it to my online gallery in the next couple of days.

pat
 
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