Fun Greater Pewee Facts For Kids
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Do you like pewee birds, like the eastern wood pewees? Here we have all the information on the greater pewee birds.
The greater pewee (Contopus pertinax) is a species of flycatcher bird that belongs to the family Tyrannidae. They are native to Central and North America, specifically New Mexico, Arizona, Mexico, and the Mexican mountains from the southern border of the United States to Guatemala.
These Arizona flycatchers mainly inhabit pine-oak forests within their habitat range.
These flycatchers don't stand out much due to their plain and dull brownish-gray body color. However, there's a contrast to that color as their back is darker while the belly is a lighter shade.
They also have a small tufted crest, and the bill of this bird is bicolored. The conservation status of this species of bird has been listed as Least Concern as these birds are common and are not facing any great threats.
Read on to know more about the greater pewee birds! For more relatable content, check out these least flycatcher facts and Old World flycatcher facts for kids.
Greater Pewee Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a greater pewee?
The greater pewee (Contopus pertinax) is a species of bird, specifically a flycatcher.
What class of animal does the greater pewee belong to?
The greater pewee bird belongs to the order Passeriformes, family Tyrannidae, and class Aves.
How many greater pewees are there in the world?
The population of these North American birds in an exact number is not known. These flycatchers are common within their habitat range. However, their population is showing a decreasing trend.
Where does greater pewee live?
Greater pewees are native to Central and North America. They can be seen from the mountains of the southwest United States to northern Nicaragua.
The species is also seen in the mountains of Arizona, Mexico, and New Mexico. In New Mexico, they can be found in the mountains of Grant, Hidalgo, and more. In Mexico, they are residents of the Mexican mountains from the southern border of the United States to Guatemala.
What is a greater pewee's habitat?
The primary habitat of these birds of North America consists of high elevation woodlands made of both small and large riparian trees. They mainly prefer open pine forests with an understory of oak plantations. They occur at an elevation between 0.6-1.9 mi (1,000-3,000 m) throughout their habitat range.
Who do greater pewees live with?
Greater pewees are solitary and highly territorial in nature. They only come together during the breeding season. Sometimes they can be seen in flocks of wood warblers.
How long does greater pewee live?
The exact lifespan of these birds is not known. Another species of the same genus, the western wood pewees, are known to live for about seven years or so.
How do they reproduce?
The breeding season of the greater pewee bird is known to begin around mid-March. They form monogamous pairs. However, the duration of the pair-bond is not known. Not much is known about the courtship behavior between the male and the female of this species.
After mating, the female lays about three to four eggs per clutch on average. The incubation period is about 8-12 days on average. Both parents feed the newly-hatched chicks.
What is their conservation status?
The conservation status of this bird species, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), is listed as Least Concern. They are not currently facing any grave threats within their habitat range, so no conservation efforts are currently in action.
Greater Pewee Fun Facts
What do greater pewees look like?
The greater pewee (Contopus pertinax) is a small-sized bird species. However, they are the largest among the pewees. These birds have a dull, unpatterned appearance. Their body color is brownish-gray.
The dorsal side, including their back, is darker in color, while the ventral side, including the belly, is lighter. They have a tufted crest and bicolored bill. The upper mandible is dusky brown to black colored, while the lower mandible is of a yellowish-orange shade.
*We've been unable to source an image of greater pewee and have used an image of a gray flycatcher instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of greater pewee, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at hello@kidadl.com.How cute are they?
Even with their dull appearance, these small North American birds look extremely adorable. A flying greater pewee looks beautiful. However, they can be pretty aggressive when they are defending their territory, which is always. Hence, don't be fooled by their cuteness.
How do they communicate?
Greater pewees communicate through calls and beautiful songs. The calls of the subspecies Contopus pertinax sounds like a repetitive 'wic-wic-wic', or a loud 'quip-quip' that can be heard throughout the day. Their dawn song sounds like 'fred-rick-fear', very similar to that of the dark pewee.
How big is a greater pewee?
An adult greater pewee is about 7.1 in (18 cm) in length. Their wingspan is about 13 in (33 cm). This species is slightly smaller than the great crested flycatchers. An adult great crested flycatcher is about 8.7 in (22 cm) in length.
How fast can a greater pewee move?
The exact speed at which these birds of North America can move is not known. However, they have been seen flying at a moderate pace.
How much does a greater pewee weigh?
Birds of this species are small-sized birds. An adult greater pewee weighs about 0.9 oz (27 g).
What are the male and female names of the species?
Males of the species are called cocks, and females of the species are called hens.
What would you call a baby greater pewee?
A baby greater pewee is called a chick or a hatchling.
What do they eat?
These birds are omnivorous in nature. They mainly feed on insects and different kinds of berries.
They search for insects near the tops of large pine trees, mainly on dead pine branches. They can be seen perching on a tree at an elevation that is lower than the perching height of an olive-sided flycatcher, and higher than that of a western wood pewee.
Are they dangerous?
Greater pewees are not dangerous in nature. However, they can be extremely aggressive when they are defending their territories.
Would they make a good pet?
There are no records of these birds living as pets. They require a certain habitat to survive. They are also very territorial throughout the year, so it's hard to imagine that they would be able to live happily in captivity.
Did you know...
The nest of this species of bird can be seen hanging from a large limb of a tree, closer to the tip of the branch than the trunk.
The adult birds sometimes hover over the ground and gather material for the nest. The nest can be seen in the fork of a branch, and the bird uses spider silk to attach it to the main branch or supporting branches.
The nest is mainly made up of spider webs, oak catkins, pine cones, shredded bark, lichens, feathers, twigs, pine needles, and grass.
Is a pewee a flycatcher?
Yes, pewees are species of flycatchers.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable facts, check out these elegant tit surprising facts and eastern wood pewee facts for kids pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable least flycatcher coloring pages.
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Bachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management
Moumita DuttaBachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management
A content writer and editor with a passion for sports, Moumita has honed her skills in producing compelling match reports and stories about sporting heroes. She holds a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management, Calcutta University, alongside a postgraduate diploma in Sports Management.
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