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BC Conservation Data Centre: Species Summary


Contopus cooperi
Olive-sided Flycatcher

 
Scientific Name: Contopus cooperi (Nuttall, 1831)
English Name: Olive-sided Flycatcher
 
Classification / Taxonomy
Scientific Name - Concept Reference: American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in The Auk]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
Classification Level: Species
Species Group: Vertebrate Animal
Species Code: B-OSFL
Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family
Animalia Craniata Aves Passeriformes Tyrannidae
   
Conservation Status / Legal Designation
Global Status: G4 (Apr 2016)
Provincial Status: S4B (Mar 2022)
BC List: Yellow
Provincial FRPA list:   
Provincial Wildlife Act:
COSEWIC Status: Special Concern (May 2018)
SARA Schedule: 1  -  Special Concern (Feb 2023)
General Status Canada: 4 - Secure (2005)
Migratory Bird Convention Act: Y
   
Ecology & Life History
General Description: A rather large (18-20 cm) flycatcher, large-headed, with a proportionately short tail. Plumage is brownish-olive above (browner on juveniles) with a dull white to yellowish throat, breast, and belly. The streaked or mottled chest patches are darker. Sexes are similar, but may be separable in the hand by wing chord length, 96-109 mm (females) and 103-117 mm (males) (Pyle et al. 1987).

The juvenal plumage, "...essentially like the adult in color pattern, but darker above and brighter below" (Bent 1942), is acquired by a complete postnatal molt. Banders recognize a combination juvenal/hatching year plumage from June to November with "upperparts dark brown; wing bars distinct, brownish-buffy or brownish-white; [and] flight feathers relatively fresh" (Pyle et al. 1987).

An after-hatching-year plumage between January and October consists of grayish-olive upperparts, indistinct, pale grayish-olive wing bars, and worn flight feathers. From April to August, breeding males have a cloacal protuberance, and breeding females have a brood patch (Pyle et al. 1987).

EGGS: creamy white, buff, or pink, and lightly wreathed on the broad end with brown or gray blotches (Harrison 1978).

NEST: a loosely formed cup of twigs and grasses, sometimes comprised of lichens of the genus USNEA, and lined with finer plant materials and hair.

VOCALIZATIONS: The song is a loud, ringing whistle, rather easily imitated, delivered by the male generally from the top of an upright dead snag or living tree (balsam fir (Abies balsamea), spruce (Picea spp.), tamarack (Larix laricina), or other pointed tree), often the tallest in the area. Most observers use the mnemonic "quick-three-beers" of (Peterson 1980) to recall the song. The song is often heard as a foreshortened "free beer." The call is a trebled "pip-pip-pip" (Peterson 1980). Oologist V. Burtch told Bent (1942) that these notes "...seemed to be made mostly by the female in the vicinity of the nest and that all the nests he found were located after hearing these notes."

Head (1903) described another vocalization as being "more like a twitter, and was uttered during excitement, chiefly when the young were learning to fly. It sounded like 'why, why, why,' repeated very rapidly a number of times. Sometimes this note was given as a prelude to the real song." Bent (1942) also describes a two-syllabled song, similar to the eastern wood-pewee's [Contopus sordidulus] in quality: "The notes may be whistled as `too-wee' in ascending pitch, slightly suggesting the [rufous-sided] towhee's [Pipilo erythrophthalmus] notes."
Global Reproduction Comments: Courtship includes territorial fights between males, and males pursuing females across the canopies of coniferous forests. Courtship continues for at least two weeks until nest sites are chosen and pairing is completed (Bent 1942).

Reported egg dates include the following (see Wright 199, Altman 1999): late May to early July in California; late May through late July in northwestern Oregon; early June to mid-July in western Washington; late May through mid-July in British Columbia; mid-June through mid-July in Colorado; early June through early July in Massachusetts; mid-June through late July in Maine; early to late June in Ontario and New York; mid-June through early July in Nova Scotia. In central Alaska, first clutches were initiated from late May through mid-June.

Clutch size is usually 3-4. Incubation, by the female, lasts 14-19 days. Young leave the nest 15-23 days after hatching. Most fledging occurs in early to mid July, though young from renesting efforts may fledge late in July. In New York State records of unfledged juveniles on 22 June and fledglings from 10-24 July, and in Oregon most young fledged in 19-21 days (Altman 1999). In Alaska fledging recorded at 19-20 days after hatching of first egg for 2 nests (Wright 1997). Fledglings depend on parents for up to about a week after leaving the nest.

Renesting following loss of first clutch is common, second clutches may be smaller, three or even two eggs.
Global Ecology Comments: Considered an indicator species of the coniferous forest biome throughout North America, although occasionally found in mixed deciduous/coniferous forests. Usually territorial in non-breeding areas (Stiles and Skutch 1989) and may display strong year-to-year site fidelity on breeding (Wright 1997) and wintering grounds (Marshall 1988, Altman 1997). In a study of 16 insectivorous, aerially-foraging neotropical flycatcher species, including the olive-sided flycatcher, that are seasonally sympatric in the humid Caribbean lowlands of Costa Rica, Sherry (1984) found that migrants are more opportunistic while wintering than the syntopic year-round residents.
Migration Characteristics:
(Global / Provincial)		 
    Nonmigrant:
    Local Migrant:
    Distant Migrant:
    Within Borders Migrant: 		N /
N /
Y /
na /
Global Migration Comments: Olive-sided flycatchers make the longest migrations of any flycatcher nesting in North America. They arrive in nesting areas usually in May (or sometimes as late as early June). Spring arrivals appear during the second and third weeks of May in Vermont (Fichtel 1985) and even into June in neighboring New York (Bull 1974, Peterson 1988). Most depart the northeastern United States by mid-September. They are present in Alaska from the middle of May to early September (Kessel and Gibson 1978); mean arrival date for males in Fairbanks for 1995 and 1996 was 24-26 May (range 11 May-8 June), with females arriving 7-9 days later (range 22 May - 10 June; Wright 1997).

Migrants move regularly through most of the western U.S. and Middle America, less commonly in the eastern U.S., casually along the southern Atlantic coast and in peninsular Florida (AOU 1983), although Duncan (1988) found this species to be a rare, but regular, fall migrant in extreme northwest Florida. Possibly because of their dependence upon flying insects as prey, these birds arrive rather late on their breeding grounds from South America.

Migrants move through Costa Rica late August-late October and mid-March to early June (Stiles and Skutch 1989). Individuals often return to the same wintering area in successive years.
Habitats:
(Type / Subtype / Dependence) 		Forest / Conifer Forest - Mesic (average) / Facultative - occasional use
Forest / Conifer Forest - Moist/wet / Facultative - frequent use
Forest / Mixed Forest (deciduous/coniferous mix) / Facultative - occasional use
Lakes / Pond/Open Water / Facultative - frequent use
Riparian / Riparian Forest / Facultative - frequent use
Wetland / Bog / Facultative - occasional use
Wetland / Fen / Facultative - occasional use
Wetland / Swamp / Facultative - occasional use
Global Habitat Comments: BRIEF SUMMARY: Olive-sided flycatchers breed in various forest and woodland habitats: taiga, subalpine coniferous forest, mixed coniferous-deciduous forest, burned-over forest, spruce or tamarack bogs and other forested wetlands, and along the forested edges of lakes, ponds, and streams Most nesting sites contain dead standing trees, which are used as singing and feeding perches. Nests are placed most often in conifers, on horizontal limbs 2-15 meters from the ground. During the northern winter, this species occurs in a variety of forest, woodland, and open situations with scattered trees, especially where tall dead snags are present.

BREEDING: in forest and woodland, especially in burned-over areas with standing dead trees, in taiga, subalpine coniferous forest and mixed coniferous-deciduous forest (AOU 1983). In Ontario, they nest in spruce or tamarack bogs, along the forested edges of beaver (Castor canadensis) ponds and rivers, and in burned-over forests (Cheskey 1987). In New York, however, where forest fires have been suppressed for much of this century, they favor small bog ponds and quaking bogs, swampy edges of lakes, marshy streams, backwaters of rivers, and beaver meadows. Most nesting sites contain dead standing trees, which are used as singing and feeding perches, and are bordered by forest (Peterson 1988). Birds also use small mountaintop ponds. Forests surrounding these sites are usually coniferous or mixed with deciduous trees. Black spruce (Picea mariana) is frequently mentioned as occurring at northern sites, and red spruce (P. rubens) at sites farther south, along with balsam fir, tamarack, and eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) (Peterson 1988).

Forbush (1927) and Griscom and Snyder (1955) mentioned that in southern New England, pitch pine (Pinus rigida) habitats, including pine barrens, are preferred for nesting. Nesting occurs in swamps and open woods or small clearings where fire, flooding or timber harvesting have left standing dead trees (Forbush 1927). High elevation spruce-fir forests are used in the mountains of Virginia and North Carolina (Bailey 1913, Potter et al. 1980).

Nests are placed most often in conifers (Harrison 1978, 1979), on horizontal limbs from two to 15 m from the ground (Harrison 1979, Peck and James 1987). In Ontario, nests were found in black and white spruce (Picea glauca) (14 nests), jack pine (Pinus banksiana) (two nests), and balsam fir (one nest) (Peck and James 1987). Adirondack nests were built on an outer branch from 7.6-13.7 m high in balsam fir or spruce (Peterson 1988). Even though the nest is bulky, it is well concealed and rather difficult to find.

NON-BREEDING: Includes a variety of forest, woodland, and open situations with scattered trees, especially where tall dead snags are present (AOU 1983). Primary habitat is mature, evergreen montane forest (Altman 1997). Migrants in Costa Rica occur almost anywhere, in exposed snags and open branches; in winter mostly around edges and clearings, or broken canopy of highland forest and semi-open areas (Stiles and Skutch 1989).
Food Habits: Invertivore: Adult, Immature
Global Food Habits Comments: Forages primarily by hovering or sallying forth, concentrating on prey available via aerial attack. Generally launches these aerial attacks from a high, exposed perch atop a tree or snag. Like others in the flycatching guild, this bird is a passive searcher, looking for easy to find prey, but is also an active pursuer, attacking prey difficult to capture (Eckhardt 1979, Terres 1980). The diet is made up almost entirely of flying insects, and this bird has a special fondness for wild honeybees and other Hymenoptera (Beal 1912, Forbush 1927, Bent 1942, Terres 1980). During breeding season in Central Alaska, most frequently preyed upon yellow-jacket wasps (Vespulla spp) and dragonflies (Odonata, Sympetrum spp and others) (Wright in Altman and Sallabanks 2000).
Global Phenology: Diurnal: Adult, Immature
Provincial Phenology:
(1st half of month/
2nd half of month)
Colonial Breeder: N
Length(cm)/width(cm)/Weight(g): 19/ / 32
Elevation (m) (min / max): Global: 
Provincial: 
   
 
Distribution
Endemic: N
Global Range Comment: Breeding range extends from western, southern, and central Alaska and southern Yukon eastward to southern Labrador, south to northern Baja California, Arizona, New Mexico, the Guadalupe mountains of western Texas, and central Saskatchewan south through central Minnesota, northeastern Ohio, and Massachusetts, locally in Appalachians south to Tennessee and North Carolina (AOU 1983, Altman and Sallabanks 2000). During the northern winter, the range includes mountains of South America, mainly in the Andes from Colombia and Venezuela to southeastern Peru; in small numbers in Central America and southern Mexico (AOU 1983, Stiles and Skutch 1989); also in Amazonian and southeastern Brazil (Willis et al. 1993).
 
Authors / Contributors
Global Information Author: Gotthardt, T. A., J. G. McClory, and G. Hammerson. Reviewed by John Wright, November 2004.
Last Updated: Jan 29, 2010
Provincial Information Author:
Last Updated:
   
References and Related Literature
Altman, B., and R. Sallabanks. 2000. Olive-sided Flycatcher (Contopus cooperi). No. 502 IN A. Poole and F. Gill (eds.), The birds of North America. The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA. 28pp.
American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1983. Check-list of North American Birds, 6th edition. Allen Press, Inc., Lawrence, Kansas. 877 pp.
Banks, R. C., and M. R. Browning. 1995. Comments on the status of revived old names for some North American birds. Auk 112:633-648.
Bent, A.C. 1942. Life histories of North American flycatchers, larks, swallows, and their allies. U.S. National Museum Bulletin 179. Washington, DC.
Campbell, R.W., N.K. Dawe, I. McTaggart-Cowan, J.M. Cooper, G.W. Kaiser, M.C.E. McNall and G.E.J. Smith 1997. The Birds of British Columbia, Vol. 3, Passerines: Flycatchers through Vireos. UBC Press in cooperation with Environ. Can., Can. Wildl. Serv. and B.C. Minist. Environ., Lands and Parks, Wildl. Branch. 700pp.
Carter, M., G. Fenwick, C. Hunter, D. Pashley, D. Petit, J. Price, and J. Trapp. 1996. Watchlist 1996: For the future. Field Notes 50(3):238-240.
COSEWIC. 2007h. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the Olive-sided Flycatcher Contopus cooperi in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. vii + 25pp.
Hagan, J. M., III, and D. W. Johnston, editors. 1992. Ecology and conservation of neotropical migrant landbirds. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. xiii + 609 pp.
Hagar, J., S. Howlin and L. Ganio. 2004. Short-term response of songbirds to the experimental thinning of young Douglas-fir forests in the Oregon Cascades. Forest Ecology and Management 199: 33-347.
Harrison, C. 1978. A Field Guide to the Nests, Eggs and Nestlings of North American Birds. Collins, Cleveland, Ohio.
Harrison, H. H. 1979. A field guide to western birds' nests. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. 279 pp.
Munro, J.A. 1935. Bird life at Horse Lake, British Columbia. The Condor 37(4): 185-193.
Peterjohn, B. G., J. R. Sauer, and W. A. Link. 1994. The 1992 and 1993 summary of the North American Breeding Bird Survey. Bird Populations 2:46-61.
Peterson, J. M. C., and C. Fichtel. 1992. Olive-sided flycatcher, Contopus borealis. Pages 353-367 in K. J. Schneider and D. M. Pence, editors. Migratory nongame birds of management concern in the Northeast. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Newton Corner, Massachusetts. 400 pp.
Price, J., S. Droege, and A. Price. 1995. The summer atlas of North American birds. Academic Press, New York. x + 364 pp.
Sauer, J.R., and S. Droege. 1992. Geographical patterns in population trends of Neotropical migrants in North America. Pages 26-42 in J.M. Hagan, III, and D.W. Johnston, editors. Ecology and conservation of Neotropical migrant landbirds. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC.
Shirley, S.M. 2005, Habitat use by riparian and upland birds in oldgrowth coastal British Columbia rainforest. The Wilson Bulletin 117(3): 245-257.
Stiles, F. G. and A. F. Skutch. 1989. A guide to the birds of Costa Rica. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York, USA. 511 pp.
Terres, J. K. 1980. The Audubon Society encyclopedia of North American birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 1987. Migratory nongame birds of management concern in the United States: the 1987 list. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Migratory Bird Management, Washington, D.C. 63 pp.
 

Please visit the website Conservation Status Ranks for definitions of the data fields used in this summary report.

Suggested Citation:

B.C. Conservation Data Centre. 2010. Species Summary: Contopus cooperi. B.C. Minist. of Environment. Available: https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/ (accessed Apr 25, 2024).