Greater Pewee - BirdForum Opus

Contopus pertinax

Photo by Michael W
Photographed: Sawmill Canyon, Fort Huachuca, Arizona

Identification

Pale lower mandible is important for recognizing this bird but may not be easy to see or photograph.

Distribution

North America: Arizona
Central America: Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua

Taxonomy

Subspecies^[1]

• C. p. pertinax (pallidiventris):

• South-western US to southern Mexico; winters to Belize and Guatemala

• C. p. minor:

• Highlands of Belize, Honduras, El Salvador and northern Nicaragua

Habitat

Desert Riparian zone and secondary woodland. Nests in conferous forests

Behaviour

Usually perches near treetops, flying out to catch insects.

References

1. Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
2. Birdforum thread containing an instructive discussion on the color of the lower mandible of this species

External Links

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