Olive-sided flycatcher (Contopus cooperi) COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 4

Distribution

Global range

The Olive-sided Flycatcher has a wide breeding range across Canada and in the western and northeastern United States (Figure 1). Highest breeding densities are west of the Rocky Mountains from southern BC to California (Altman and Sallabanks 2000). It winters primarily in Panama and the Andes Mountains from Venezuela to Peru and Bolivia, but is occasionally found wintering in other parts of Central and South America.

Figure 1.  Global range of the Olive-sided Flycatcher (wintering range in orange on left and blue on right), from Altman and Sallabanks (2000).

Figure 1.  Global rFigure 1.  Global range of the Olive-sided Flycatcher (wintering range in orange on left and blue on right), from Altman and Sallabanks (2000).

Canadian range

The Olive-sided Flycatcher breeds throughout most of forested Canada (Figure 1). It is common in the southern Yukon from Beaver Creek east to the La Biche River, and possibly central Yukon where it is seen regularly in the Tintina Trench area and other scattered locations (Sinclair et al. 2003). In the Northwest Territories, the Olive-sided Flycatcher is found primarily to the east of Great Slave Lake and Great Bear Lake (NT/NU Bird Checklist Survey Database). The Olive-sided Flycatcher is recorded throughout most forested areas of British Columbia (except the Queen Charlotte Islands) (Campbell et al.. 1990) and Alberta (except the southern parkland and grassland regions) (McGillivray and Semenchuk 1998). In Saskatchewan, Smith (1996) describes the Olive-sided Flycatcher as a fairly common summer resident throughout the subarctic and boreal forests. In Manitoba, it is an uncommon breeder in the boreal forest, and is not often recorded in other forested areas further south (Manitoba Avian Research Committee 2003). In Ontario it is widespread throughout the boreal forest zone and in the Great Lakes-St Lawrence forest to approximately Lake Simcoe in the south (Cheskey 1987). It does not breed in the Carolinian forest zone. In Quebec it is widespread south of the 52nd parallel (Gauthier and Aubry 1996). The Olive-sided Flycatcher is found throughout the Maritimes and on the island of Newfoundland, although less abundantly in eastern New Brunswick and western Prince Edward Island (Erskine 1992). This widely distributed species would be found on almost all Aboriginal lands in forested Canada.

Approximately 54% of the species’ breeding range is in Canada (P. Blancher unpubl. data).

 

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