Eastern Wood-Pewee
Eastern Wood-Pewee has edged down: down 13% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the Eastern Wood-Pewee
The Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens) is a North American member of the Tyrant Flycatchers (Tyrannidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the aerial insectivores.
- Size
- 4.5–9 in long (12–23 cm) — a small to medium flycatcher (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Open airspace over fields, water and towns; nests in cavities, earthen banks or on structures.
- Diet
- Flying insects caught on the wing.
- Range
- Recorded on 2,446 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 38 states, most concentrated in the Appalachian Mountains.
- Family
- Tyrannidae · Aerial insectivores
Notable Eastern Wood-Pewee TrendsNotable signalsLong-arc shifts the engine flags automatically — sustained declines or increases large enough to stand out from year-to-year noise.Full methodology →
No notable trend signals for Eastern Wood-Pewee. See the full index history below.
Eastern Wood-Pewee Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Eastern Wood-Pewee is projected to fall about 26% by 2029 — from 3.4 in 2024 to a central estimate of 2.6 (95% range 1.8–3.4). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±27%, with 20% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
Where the Eastern Wood-Pewee Is Detected
BBS routes recording Eastern Wood-Pewee, sized by most recent count.
Eastern Wood-Pewee Population Trend by State
Eastern Wood-Pewee Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
Eastern Wood-Pewee Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it down about 13% since 1968. Aerial insectivores have fallen sharply across the continent, a decline widely linked to dwindling insect prey.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.