Similar Species
The Western Wood Pewee (C. sordidulus) is essentially indistinguishable visually. But its range is parapatric to the west of C. virens, and its song—a descending "tsee-tsee-tsee-peeer"—is entirely different.
The Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) is similar, particularly in the worn plumage after breeding. It always lacks clearly defined wingbars, however, and bobs its tail frequently. It has a shorter primary projection. The Eastern Phoebe is also present on the breeding grounds by March, while Eastern Wood Pewees don't arrive until very late April and early May. The songs ("fee-bee, fee-bee") and calls ("chip") are quite different.
The Least Flycatcher (Empidonax minimus) is quite similar to the Eastern Wood Pewee in plumage, but has a bold eye ring and much shorter primary projection, appearing rather blunt-winged. It also has a shorter bill and is smaller overall. The songs ("che-bec, che-bec") and calls (a sharp "whit") are very different.
-
Eastern Wood Pewee, has two crisp, pale wing bars and long primary projection
-
Western Wood Pewee looks like its sister species
-
Eastern Phoebe lacks bolder wing bars and has shorter primary projection
-
Least Flycatcher has bold eye-rings and shorter primary projection
Read more about this topic: Eastern Wood Pewee
Famous quotes containing the words similar and/or species:
“We cannot feel strongly toward the totally unlike because it is unimaginable, unrealizable; nor yet toward the wholly like because it is stale—identity must always be dull company. The power of other natures over us lies in a stimulating difference which causes excitement and opens communication, in ideas similar to our own but not identical, in states of mind attainable but not actual.”
—Charles Horton Cooley (1864–1929)
“Genius detects through the fly, through the caterpillar, through the grub, through the egg, the constant individual; through countless individuals the fixed species; through many species the genus; through all genera the steadfast type; through all the kingdoms of organized life the eternal unity. Nature is a mutable cloud which is always and never the same.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)