Hispaniolan Pewee – Contopus hispaniolensis

Endemic species “Level 1*” (“classical”) – Page sponsored by Tody Tours
Family Tyrannidae (tyrant flycatchers) – Moucherolle d’Hispaniola en français
First publication : 20 June 2021 – Last update : 20 June 2021

This medium-sized flycatcher is arguably one of the dullest species among the 30 or so Hispaniolan endemics that occur in Dominican Republic. It is widespread on the island and still reasonably common, thus, it is considered “least concern”. For these reasons, few people focus on it, while it is decreasing and might be soon threatened. Population in Haiti (including the endemic sub-species of the Gonâve) is already very low as natural habitats are almost totally gone there. In Dominican Republic, the situation is better but still alarming : only 10% of the natural forest remains.

Although it accepts some level of degradation, it needs large trees to survive. The forest, woodlands and some plantations, noticeably shade coffee, held reasonable densities. No one has studied it in detail: we only know that it eats insects and a few small fruits, like most pewees, and that the female builds a cup-shaped nest with rootlets, mosses and lichens, a few meters from the ground, in fork of twigs. She lays two to four eggs in it.

There is no other information available, confirming sadly the complete lack of interest this rather discreet bird arouses.

Best strategy to watch and take photos of a discreet endemic such as the Hispaniolan Pewee

I’ve seen a pair of Hispaniolan Pewee in the highlands, at Constanza. It was most of the time perched on high branches of dead tree. After hours spent watching on this spot, where other endemics such Hispaniolan Spindalis and Green-tailed Warbler turned up several times, I got some poor shots. Although there would be considered as acceptable by “twitchers”, they bring little to a photographer and nothing to a scientific.

**Hispaniolan Pewee**, Constanza, Dominican Republic, May 2021
This photo was obtained after hours spent under a dead tree where the pewee likes to hunt. It is heavily cropped and a real photographer wouldn’t be glad with it. No unusual behaviour was noted.

Staying several weeks in Villa Barrancolí, looking for most specialities of the country (virtually all of them occur there), I’ve met several pairs, including one in the garden itself. Instead of trying my chance at a chosen spot for more hours, I just expected that some individuals would eventually perch next to me and allow good pics during one of my numerous walks. This is my favourite strategy : much time in the field, no stress, and no influence on the natural behaviour of the birds. As hoped, it worked : during the third day of my stay, I got one individual at a very short range showed as a “cover” photo of this page, above the text. A bit later, I found a pair hunting in the understorey of a dense woodland, and they kindly decided to practice their usual “sit and wait” tactic on a dead low branch, where the two next images could have been taken.

Valéry Schollaert

**Hispaniolan Pewee**, Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, May 2021
The underparts are mouse-coloured and poorly contrasted. We can see here the fairly heavy bill for a pewee and the typical long bristles of “modern” flycatchers (some basal “or primitive” species such as beardless-tyrannulets lack them or show limited ones).

**Hispaniolan Pewee**, Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, May 2021
Seen from back, the bird is darker and slightly more contrasted, with faint drawings on the wings. Primary projections are shorter than most migrant flycatchers, but long enough to allow great skills in aerial fly-catching.

Taxonomy and subpecies

The Gonâve population is separated into a distinct subspecies (C. h. tacitus) from the nominative, present elsewhere and illustrated here.

The history of the classification is messy. In 1939, the Cuban Pewee was described with the name Muscipeta caribaea; in 1947; Jamaican Pewee was described and called Myiobius pallidus. It was not before 1867 that the Hispaniola Pewee became known to science and was given the name Tyrannula carriboea “variant hispaniolensis”. These three species are so closely related that they have been grouped in one while they have been described in three different genera!

In reality, they are three distinct species, quite significantly in voice, plumage and size, but which certainly deserve to be put in the same genus. Grouping them into one super-species, however, does not seem appropriate, but this detail remains to be confirmed.