Pewee is the name of 11 species of small birds that are native to the Western Hemisphere. They belong to a family of birds called flycatchers (see Flycatcher). Pewees are about 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 centimeters) long. They have gray-brown to greenish-gray backs and pale gray breasts. Most pewees have two white bars on their wings.
Pewees range from southern Alaska and southern and eastern Canada to Argentina. The best-known species in the United States are the western wood-pewee, also called the western pewee, and the eastern wood-pewee, also known as the eastern pewee. The western wood-pewee lives in woodlands from southern Alaska and western Canada to Central America. The eastern wood-pewee inhabits forests from southeastern Canada to Florida and Texas. The name pewee comes from the eastern wood-pewee’s call, which sounds like pee-a-wee. Both species breed in the United States and Canada and migrate to Central and South America for the winter. They return to their nesting grounds in April or May. The birds sing at the first sign of daybreak and throughout the day into early evening.
Eastern and western wood-pewees build nests out of plant fibers. They cover the outside of the nest with lichens or leaves to camouflage it. Female pewees lay two to four eggs that are white with brown speckles on the larger end. The eggs hatch in about 12 days. Pewees eat chiefly ants, flies, bees, and beetles.
