Olive-sided Flycatcher
(Contopus cooperi)

Summary

The Breeding Bird Survey indicates that the Olive-sided Flycatcher has experienced a widespread and consistent decrease throughout its range in Canada since about 1970. Declines are so persistent that this once familiar species was assessed as Threatened by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada in 2007 (COSEWIC 2007d) and listed under the Species at Risk Act in 2010. However, in 2018, it was re-assessed as Special Concern by COSEWIC because the rate of its decline has lessened in recent years (COSEWIC 2018a). Nevertheless, conservation concern for the species remains because habitat alteration and loss on both the wintering and breeding grounds continue to pose serious threats to the species (Altman and Sallabanks 2000). These negative effects may be exacerbated with climate change (COSEWIC 2018a). This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.

Designations

Main designations for the species
Designation	Status	Date
COSEWIC (Canada)	Special Concern	2018
SARA (Canada)	Threatened	2010
IUCN (Global)	Near threatened	2018
Partners in Flight (North America)	Watch list - yellow D	2017
Wild Species (Canada)	Vulnerable	2015
State of North America’s Birds	Watch list	2016
Bird Conservation Region Strategy	Priority Species	2013

Population status

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Geographic area or population	Population change relative to ~1970	Reliability	Status in relation to goal
Canada	Large Decrease	High	Below Acceptable Level

Population estimate

Geographic area or population	Population estimate
Canada	500,000 - 1,000,000 adults

Distribution maps

Migration strategy, occurrence

Long-distance migrant

Responsibility for conservation

Geographic area	Responsibility based on % of global population
Canada	High

General nesting period in Canada

Nesting period starts between late May and mid-June and ends between early August and mid-August, depending on the region. Before or after this period, the probability of an active nest is lower.

Conservation and management

The causes of population declines in the Olive-sided Flycatcher are unclear but are most likely related to habitat changes. Recent studies suggest that reproductive success in harvested stands is less than in stands that have regenerated following a fire (COSEWIC 2007d). Habitat alteration and loss on its wintering grounds may also pose serious threats (Altman and Sallabanks 2012, COSEWIC 2007d). However, precise estimates of changes to winter habitat are not available, and there are no data linking declines in particular breeding locations to specific wintering populations. Changes in insect populations either on breeding or wintering grounds, or during migration may also be important (Blancher et al. 2009). Global insect populations have shown significant declines, including bees, which are an important prey item for Olive-sided Flycatchers (Environment Canada 2016a). For information on the legal status of this species under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) and to view available recovery documents, see the SARA Registry.

Bird conservation region strategies

Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:

conservation concerns (i.e., species vulnerable due to population size, distribution, population trend, abundance, or threats)
stewardship responsibilities (i.e., species that typify the regional avifauna or have a large proportion of their range or population in the sub-region)
management concerns (i.e., species that require ongoing management because of their socio-economic importance as game species, or because of their impacts on other species or habitats)
other concerns (i.e., species deemed a priority by regional experts for other reasons than those listed above or because they are listed as species at risk or concern at the provincial level)

Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.

BCRs, marine biogeographic units, and sub-regions in which the species is listed as a priority
Region	Sub-region and priority type
Atlantic Northern Forests	Atlantic Northern Forests, sub-region and priority type: Atlantic, NB -- Conservation
Atlantic Northern Forests	Atlantic Northern Forests, sub-region and priority type: Atlantic, NS -- Other
Atlantic Northern Forests	Atlantic Northern Forests, sub-region and priority type: Atlantic, PE -- Other
Atlantic Northern Forests	Atlantic Northern Forests, sub-region and priority type: Quebec -- Conservation
Boreal Hardwood Transition	Boreal Hardwood Transition, sub-region and priority type: Ontario and Manitoba -- Conservation
Boreal Hardwood Transition	Boreal Hardwood Transition, sub-region and priority type: Quebec -- Conservation
Boreal Softwood Shield	Boreal Softwood Shield, sub-region and priority type: Atlantic, NL -- Other
Boreal Softwood Shield	Boreal Softwood Shield, sub-region and priority type: Ontario -- Conservation
Boreal Softwood Shield	Boreal Softwood Shield, sub-region and priority type: Prairie and Northern -- Other
Boreal Softwood Shield	Boreal Softwood Shield, sub-region and priority type: Quebec -- Conservation
Boreal Taiga Plains	Boreal Taiga Plains, sub-region and priority type: Prairie and Northern -- Other
Great Basin	Great Basin, sub-region and priority type: Pacific and Yukon -- Conservation
Lower Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Plain	Lower Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Plain, sub-region and priority type: Ontario -- Conservation
Lower Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Plain	Lower Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Plain, sub-region and priority type: Quebec -- Other
Northern Pacific Rainforest	Northern Pacific Rainforest, sub-region and priority type: Pacific and Yukon -- Conservation
Northern Rockies	Northern Rockies, sub-region and priority type: Pacific and Yukon -- Conservation
Northwestern Interior Forest	Northwestern Interior Forest, sub-region and priority type: Pacific and Yukon -- Conservation & Stewardship
Prairie Potholes	Prairie Potholes, sub-region and priority type: Prairie and Northern -- Other
Taiga Shield and Hudson Plains	Taiga Shield and Hudson Plains, sub-region and priority type: Atlantic, NL -- Other
Taiga Shield and Hudson Plains	Taiga Shield and Hudson Plains, sub-region and priority type: Ontario -- Conservation
Taiga Shield and Hudson Plains	Taiga Shield and Hudson Plains, sub-region and priority type: Prairie and Northern -- Other
Taiga Shield and Hudson Plains	Taiga Shield and Hudson Plains, sub-region and priority type: Quebec -- Other

References

Altman, B. and R. Sallabanks. 2000. Olive-sided Flycatcher (Contopus cooperi), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Altman, B. and R. Sallabanks. 2000. Olive-sided Flycatcher (Contopus cooperi), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. (Link)
Altman, B. and R. Sallabanks. 2012. Olive-sided Flycatcher (Contopus cooperi), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Altman, B. and R. Sallabanks. 2012. Olive-sided Flycatcher (Contopus cooperi), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. (Link)
Blancher, P.J., R.D. Phoenix, D.S. Badzinski, M.D. Cadman, T.L. Crewe, C.M. Downes, D. Fillman, C.M. Francis, J. Hughes, D.J.T. Hussell, D. Lepage, J.D. McCracken, D.K. McNicol, B.A. Pond, R.K. Ross, R. Russell, L.A. Venier and R.C. Weeber. 2009. Population trend status of Ontario’s forest birds. The Forestry Chronicle 85(2):184-201.
COSEWIC. 2007d. 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 + 25 pp. COSEWIC. 2007d. 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 + 25 pp. (Link)
COSEWIC. 2018a. Species Profile: Olive-sided Flycatcher. Species At Risk Public Registry. COSEWIC. 2018a. Species Profile: Olive-sided Flycatcher. Species At Risk Public Registry. (Link)
Environment Canada. 2016a. Recovery Strategy for the Olive-sided Flycatcher (Contopus cooperi) in Canada. Species at Risk Act Recovery Strategy Series. Environment Canada, Ottawa. vii + 52 pp. Environment Canada. 2016a. Recovery Strategy for the Olive-sided Flycatcher (Contopus cooperi) in Canada. Species at Risk Act Recovery Strategy Series. Environment Canada, Ottawa. vii + 52 pp. (Link)

Olive-sided Flycatcher(Contopus cooperi)

Overview