The Western Wood-Pewee is a common and distinctive flycatcher found in the woodlands of Oregon during the breeding season. Like many flycatcher species, it presents a challenge for visual sex identification because male and female Western Wood-Pewees are nearly identical in plumage.

General Characteristics (Both Sexes)
Size & Shape: A medium-sized, slender flycatcher, slightly smaller than an American Robin but larger than a chickadee. They have a relatively large head with a subtle peak or crest that gives it a somewhat triangular appearance. Their posture is typically upright when perched.
Coloration: Generally a drab grayish-brown overall.
Upperparts: Dark grayish-brown on the back, head, and wings.
Underparts: Whitish throat and belly, with a noticeable dusky or smudgy gray "vest" across the breast and flanks. This "vest" can sometimes look like an unbuttoned vest, though it's less pronounced than on the Olive-sided Flycatcher.
Wingbars: They typically have two indistinct pale wingbars. These can be subtle and may not always be obvious.
Face: Dark grayish-brown face with little to no obvious eye-ring.
Bill: A two-toned bill; the upper mandible (top part) is dark, while the base of the lower mandible (bottom part) is often yellowish or pale orange, with a dark tip.
Perching Behavior: They are classic "sit-and-wait" predators. You'll often find them perched upright on exposed branches within the middle to lower canopy of trees, usually at the end of a branch or on a snag. From this perch, they sally out to catch flying insects in mid-air and then often return to the same or a nearby perch.
Vocalization: This is arguably their most distinguishing feature. Their song is a characteristic, slurred, descending, and somewhat melancholic "pee-eer" or "pee-wee" whistle. It has a slightly burry or nasal quality. They often sing late into the evening. They also have a sharper "bzwee" call.
Diet: Primarily flying insects, including flies, bees, wasps, beetles, and moths, which they catch in flight.

Male Western Wood-Pewee in Oregon
Plumage: Virtually identical to the female in all plumage aspects. There are no consistent color or pattern differences that allow for visual sexing in the field.
Size (Subtle): Males are, on average, slightly larger than females, with perhaps slightly longer wings. However, this difference is within the range of individual variation and is not useful for field identification without direct comparison or measurements.
Singing: Males are the primary singers of the distinctive "pee-eer" song, using it to defend their breeding territory and attract a mate.

Female Western Wood-Pewee in Oregon
Plumage: Virtually identical to the male.
Size (Subtle): Females are, on average, slightly smaller than males.
Nesting: The female is responsible for building the nest, which is a shallow, compact cup made of plant fibers, grasses, and spider silk, often camouflaged with lichens or moss, and typically saddled on a horizontal branch. She also performs most or all of the incubation. Both parents feed the young.

Habitat in Oregon
Western Wood-Pewees are common summer residents throughout forested and semi-open wooded areas of Oregon, including:
Open woodlands (deciduous, coniferous, or mixed)
Forest edges and clearings
Riparian (streamside) forests with cottonwoods, willows, and alders
Oak woodlands
Ponderosa pine forests
Recently burned forests (due to increased snags for perching)