Bird Guide

Olive-sided Flycatcher vs Southern Tropical Pewee

Olive-sided Flycatcher (Contopus cooperi)

Olive-sided Flycatcher

Contopus cooperi

Small32 gForest

The olive-sided flycatcher is a small to medium-sized passerine, smaller than an American robin, but bigger than sparrows. It can be identified by its olive-grey or grey-brownish plumage above with a white mid-breast section and throat. The olive tones on its back and wings are seen mainly in optimal light and when the feathers are freshly moulted. The sides of the breast area are grey and make the bird look like it is wearing a vest. It has a relatively long bill and long wings for its size. Sometimes, some of its head feathers can be raised, which make it look like it has a small crest. Voice: During the breeding, olive-sided flycatcher males sing a song to attract a mate. The mnemonic for its song is "Quick, three beers!" with three successive higher-pitched sounds. The first sound is shorter and not as high-pitched and loud as the two others. Sometimes, during mating season, males can produce growling sounds or squeaks when in conflict with other males.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Olive-sided Flycatcher
Recorded by Rosa Elena Albornoz · Call, song · San Antonio De Los Altos (near Parroquia Macarao), Municipio Los Salias, Miranda, Venezuela · CC0
Photo: Becky Matsubara from El Sobrante, California · CC BY 2.0
Southern Tropical Pewee (Contopus cinereus)

Southern Tropical Pewee

Contopus cinereus

Tiny12 gForest

The southern tropical pewee is 13.5 to 14.5 cm (5.3 to 5.7 in) long and weighs about 10 to 15 g (0.35 to 0.53 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies have a dark blackish gray crown with a slight crest, white to grayish white lores, and a thin white eye-ring on an otherwise grayish olive face. Their back is sooty olive-gray and their rump and uppertail coverts brownish olive with a hidden white feather tuft on either side of the rump. Their wings are mostly dusky. Voice: The southern tropical pewee's song is a "clear emphatic whistled pee-heeuw!, repeated at intervals". Its call is a "very short note typically repeated several times...pip..pip..pip..pip..pip....". The song and call have also been written as a "descending tjeuuw" and a "very high, staccato wic wic-" respectively. The species sings and calls at any time of day though more in the morning.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: William Swainson · Public domain

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Olive-sided Flycatcher and Southern Tropical Pewee.