# Lesser Antillean Pewee

Scientific name: Contopus latirostris

Bird group: [flycatcher](https://birdsofpuertorico.com/family/flycatcher)

Canonical source: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/bird/222/Lesser-Antillean-Pewee

## Identification

The Lesser Antillean pewee (Contopus latirostris) is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae.


## Distribution and habitat

The Lesser Antillean Pewee occurs in Puerto Rico (Oberle 
2018) and in the northern 
Lesser Antilles such as St. 
Lucia, Martinique, Dominica, 
and Guadeloupe (Raffaele and 
others 1998). In Puerto Rico, it 
occurs almost exclusively in the 
western two-thirds of the island 
(Raffaele and others 1998), and 
it can be seen regularly at the 
Boquerón Nature Reserve and 
the Maricao State Forest (Oberle 
2018). This species generally 
inhabits montane forests, coffee 
plantations, coastal scrub forests 
(Oberle 2018), and mangroves 
(Raffaele and others 1998). The atlas fieldwork yielded a total of 
99 records within 56 hexagons 
or 12 percent of the 479 total 
hexagons (see map). Of the 56 
hexagons where this species 
was found, breeding met the 
atlas definition of confirmed in 
5 percent (3) of the hexagons, 
probable in 11 percent (6), 
and possible in 84 percent (47) 
(see map). Lesser Antillean Pewee distribution. The map shows the highest breeding code by hexagon and overlaying the ecological life zones 
in Puerto Rico. Note: percentages may not total 100 due to rounding.

## Breeding

The Lesser Antillean Pewees nest consists of a cup-shaped 
structure made of moss, lichens, 
small roots, pieces of thin tree 
bark, and other fine materials, 
and is usually placed on a       213Lesser Antillean Pewee/Bobitotree limb (Biaggi 1997, Oberle 2018). Previously published 
reports indicate that breeding 
occurs in the spring (Biaggi 
1997). Atlas results show that 
this species breeding season 
extends throughout the year with 
the most breeding activity from 
March to June (see chart). The 
breeding peaks in May, and in 
this month mostly occurs in the 
subtropical dry and wet forest 
life zones (see chart). Overall, 
atlas results (see table and map) 
show that the pewee breeds 
mostly within the subtropical moist forest life zone (39 percent 
of the hexagons) but also in 
subtropical wet forest life zones 
at higher elevations (30 percent 
of the hexagons) and in the 
subtropical dry forest life zone 
(30 percent of the hexagons).

## Conservation

The global population trend of the Lesser Antillean Pewee has 
not been quantified or assessed, 
but the species is described as 
uncommon (Stotz and others 
1996). It is suspected to be in 
decline in the Lesser Antilles, mostly due to habitat loss (del 
Hoyo and others 2004). This 
species is currently listed as a 
species of least concern by the 
IUCN (BirdLife International 
2017). Locally, this species is not 
listed in any of the threatened 
categories of PRDNER and 
USFWS. In Puerto Rico, the 
Lesser Antillean Pewee has a 
protected habitat in land of 
about 22 percent or 295 km2 of the total area covered by 
the hexagons where evidence 
of breeding was found for this 
species (1342 km2).

Photo: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/static/images/webp/in_222_Im0.png.webp

Distribution map: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/static/images/webp/in_222_Im1.png.webp

Source note: Text is reproduced from this site's published record. Historical conservation statements and taxonomy have not been independently revalidated. See https://birdsofpuertorico.com/about for source credits and limitations.