Hispaniolan Pewee Contopus hispaniolensis Scientific name definitions

The Hispaniolan Pewee was formerly considered part of the Greater Antillean Pewee complex, which is nowadays treated as three species, the present species, the Cuban Pewee (Contopus caribaeus), and the Jamaican Pewee (Contopus pallidus). This predominantly drab, grayish-olive, tyrant-flycatcher inhabits a broad variety of wooded habitats, including orchards and shade-coffee plantations, from sea level to at least 2000 m, and is found virtually throughout the Dominican Republic and Haiti, including the satellite island, the Île de la Gonâve, where it is represented by a separate subspecies. Like other pewees, it is usually noticed sallying forth from a relatively high perch to rapidly seize a passing insect, before returning to the same or a nearby branch. The Hispaniolan Pewee breeds between March and June, like the majority of resident bird species on the island.

15–16 cm; 11·5 g (1 Steadman, D.W., Olson, S.L., Barber, J.C., Meister, C.A. and Melvill, M.E. (1980). Weights of some West Indian birds. Bull. Brit. Orn. Club. 100(2): 155–158. Close ). Head and upperparts are greyish-olive, darkest on crown; wings and tail dusky, inconspicuous pale wingbars (often absent); throat grey, olive-brown wash across breast; belly and undertail-coverts yellowish-buff mixed with grey; iris dark; bill broad, blackish, mandible pale at base; legs blackish. Sexes alike. Juvenile has pale feather fringes on crown, back and wing-coverts. Race tacitus similar to nominate.

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Various wooded habitats, including pine (Pinus) and broadleaf forests, shade coffee plantations, orchards, forest edges. Sea-level to at least 1800 m.

Resident. Vagrant on Mona I, between Hispaniola and Puerto Rico; recorded in Bahamas (Providenciales) in Sept after hurricane.

Insects; also small fruits. Searches from low perch, sallying out to capture insects in the air; flicks tail upon landing. Reported as joining mixed-species flocks in pine forests.

Call “purr, pip-pip-pip-pip”. Dawn song a loud, rapid series of paired notes rising in pitch, “shurr, pet-pit, pit-pit, peet-peet”.

May–Jun. Nest constructed by female, a cup of rootlets, lichen and moss, placed 3–5 m up in fork of twig. Clutch 2–4 eggs; incubation by female, chicks fed by both parents; no other information.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Restricted-range species: present in Hispaniola EBA. Common and widespread. Haiti is one of the world’s most environmentally degraded countries, with remaining forests covering less than 1·5% of its surface area, while c. 10% of forests remain in Dominican Republic; forests continue to be destroyed by logging, slash-and-burn agriculture, charcoal production, and replacement with pine plantations. Only two small national parks exist in Haiti, and c. 22 protected areas (and 15 new areas proposed) covering c. 16% of the area of Dominican Republic, but lack of funds for protection and management threaten their long-term survival.