Little is known about wintering habitat requirements (NatureServe 2008). 2000. Total survey effort in each of these coordinated surveys was similar, although there were differences in the sites covered. University of Waterloo Press, Waterloo, ON. National Recovery Plan No. An estimated 52,000 birds (1.1% of the global population) breed in the fragmented forests of the Lower Great Lakes/St. Identification Guide to North American Birds, Part 1: Columbidae to Ploceidae. The effort–adjusted probability of observation for Acadian Flycatcher in Ontario increased significantly (by 86%) between the first (1980–85) and second (2001–2005) atlases (Cadman et al. Preliminary findings from the habitat modelling work by Flaxman (2004) can be used to make a rough estimate of the amount of potential habitat that has not been searched. Is there an observed, inferred, or projected continuing decline in extent of occurrence? Forest cover in all parts of the Carolinian region remains well below the 30% threshold considered necessary to maintain forest bird diversity (OMNR 2000; Environment Canada 2004). Dave Martin, Environmental Consultant; Belmont, Ontario. 2nd Pennsylvania Breeding Bird Atlas. Recovery of National Endangered Wildlife (RENEW). The OBBA2 database and maps include the results of directed searches for Acadian Flycatcher (see below). The lower figure is comparable to the 12 of 135 territories held by single males in a Pennsylvania study (Woofenden et al. 2000; Whitehead and Taylor 2002; ONRS 2008). IRF 18610–Contract No. Some of the atlas records with possible breeding evidence likely represent late migrants or prospecting birds. 2008). For enquiries, contact us. plus appendices. Habitat amount The lower figure is based on the number of unmated males reported from intensive surveys at core sites that traditionally support multiple birds (e.g., 3 of 29 males in 2002–03), and is an underestimate because it does not include unmated birds in marginal habitats at other sites. MBCA 1994. and A.D. Rodewald. 2009 and references cited therein). The Acadian Flycatcher, Empidonax virescens, is a drab flycatcher with olive–green upperparts, pale underparts and a pale eye–ring. 2008b. Zink, R.M. Effects of selective logging on breeding bird communities in bottomland hardwood forests in Louisiana. Several of the Acadian Flycatcher’s preferred nest tree species (hemlock, beech, flowering dogwood) are being decimated by invasive forest pests and pathogens (Hemlock Wooly Adelgid, beech bark disease, and dogwood anthracnose) in the northeastern United States. This species does exhibit some degree of flexibility in that it can nest successfully in relatively narrow wooded ravine situations, and uses several different tree and shrub species for nest–support. Whitehead, D.R. Natural Heritage/Natural History Inc., Toronto, ON. : A Framework for Guiding Habitat Rehabilitation in Great Lakes Areas of Concern, Second Edition. Rates increase with increasing urbanization (Rodewald and Shustack 2008; Rodewald 2009). Special Publication, Canadian Wildlife Service, Canada. Throughout its breeding range, the Acadian Flycatcher is a habitat specialist, nesting in mature closed–canopy forests with an open understorey. The Acadian Flycatcher may also be relatively tolerant of predicted climate changes, because it is generally adapted to a warmer climate. Website: [accessed March 2009]. 1994. Dawson, and B.A. BBS data have been used to calculate population estimates and population trends at various geographic scales (Rich et al. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Species at Risk Section, Fish and Wildlife Branch, Natural Resources Management Division. In size, it is slightly larger than a house sparrow, and in appearance it is similar to other flycatchers of the genus Empidonax. Urban–associated habitat alteration promotes brood parasitism of Acadian Flycatchers. Production note:COSEWIC would like to acknowledgeAudrey Heagy for writing the status report on the Acadian Flycatcher, Empidonax virescens, in Canada, prepared under contract with Environment Canada, overseen and edited by Jon McCracken, Co–chair, COSEWIC Birds Specialist Subcommittee. Revised edition. Godfrey, W.E. 1997; McCracken et al. Acadian Flycatcher Recovery Program: ACFL surveys in 2005 at core sites and follow–up stewardship work. Infestations are currently only about 200 km from Ontario. Butcher, D. Demarest, W.C. Hunter, E. Inigo–Elias, J.A. Population counts and estimates for the Acadian Flycatcher in Canada (1987-2007), Atlas of climate change effects in 150 bird species of the Eastern United States (PDF, 651 KB), NatureServe Explorer: an online encyclopedia of life, A List of Municipalities with Bylaws, Ontario Woodlot Assocation, Digital Distribution Maps of the Birds of the Western Hemisphere, version 3.0, The North American Breeding Bird Survey, Results and Analysis 1966–2007, Species at Risk Act, Statutes of Canada 2002, Chapter 29, Actual numbers estimated to be 10% to 50% higher than count, 50 atlas squares with breeding evidence over 2001–05 period, Between 27 and 35 pairs in any given year, 26–29 territorial males at 14 sites in 1998, 35–50 territorial males (including many unpaired birds), 20–100 pairs (probably fewer than 50 pairs), 41 to 75 pairs, probably closer to the lower figure, 29 atlas squares with breeding evidence over 1981–85 period, Abundance estimates of 1 bird in 6 squares, and 2–10 birds in 4 squares. Most of the increase in forest cover in southern Ontario over the 20th century was in the Lake Simcoe – Rideau region. 1999). Forest Bird Monitoring Program Database. Together, we have built a unique and valuable record of birdlife across the province during this year's Spring migration and breeding season. Bird Studies Canada, Port Rowan, ON. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. 2006). The Canadian breeding range of the Acadian Flycatcher is largely restricted to the Carolinian Region of southern Ontario. 2008. Ralph, T.D. The Acadian Flycatcher winters in a range of lowland and pre–montane forest habitats in Central and South America, including the understorey of humid forest, second–growth woodlands, forest edges, and shrub thickets (Whitehead and Taylor 2002; NatureServe 2008). Coordinated surveys of known and potential Acadian Flycatcher breeding habitat in southern Ontario were carried out in 1997, 1998, 2002, and 2007 (Heagy et al. plus appendices. It is considered common and not of conservation concern in most jurisdictions within its breeding range in the United States but is ranked as Vulnerable (S3) in all states bordering Ontario other than Pennsylvania (S5) and Ohio (S5; NatureServe 2008). Least Flycatchers are one of the grayish olive flycatchers in the often confusing Empidonax group, but they're one of the easier ones to identify. Gipson. Ruth, and T.C. 12 pp. No information is available on nutrition, energetics, metabolism, or temperature regulation (Whitehead and Taylor 2002). In The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, ed.). Projected  or suspected percent change in total number of, Observed, estimated, inferred, or suspected percent change in total number of mature individuals over any 10 years, or 3 generations period, over a time period including both the. Are the causes of the decline clearly reversible and understood and ceased? Is there an observed, inferred, or projected continuing decline. 89 pp. Website: [accessed February 2009]. 71 pp. The only record of an Ontario–banded nestling returning to breed was a male found breeding at its natal site (Woolfenden and Stutchbury 2004b). Hence, one designatable unit is considered in this report. Technical Series No. This assumes that potential habitat is evenly distributed throughout the EO, which is probably not the case, because private lands are generally exposed to higher intensities of forest management than public lands. BBS trends for New York and Michigan are not reliable due to small sample sizes (Sauer et al. Seventy–five percent of the population breeds in three Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs) with extensive forest cover: the Appalachian Mountains, Southeastern Coastal Plain, and Central Hardwood regions. Ontario Landbird Conservation Plan: Lower Great Lakes/St. Serious conservation concerns, both in Canada and the adjacent U.S.also stem from increasingly widespread losses of a variety of favoured nest tree species owing to the spread of an array of invasive forest insects and pathogens. Environment Canada. 2008. 1999). Although the population appears to have been relatively stable over the past 10–20 years, this is most likely due to immigration from U.S. populations. Species included: 26 waterfowl, 3 grebes, 14 shorebirds, 13 raptors, 8 woodpeckers, 10 flycatchers, 5 vireos, 7 thrushes, 7 finches, 15 sparrows, 9 blackbirds, and 29 warblers. Forest habitats within the Acadian Flycatcher’s restricted breeding range in Canada are generally compromised in terms of their ability to support area–sensitive forest birds. Bird Studies Canada, Environment Canada, Ontario Field Ornithologists, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, and Ontario Nature, Toronto. A unique two-note song described as "ka-zeep", and its location in its preferred habitat, are two features that help to identify this species. 2000. Both sexes breed at one year of age. Dispersal rates are not sufficient to prevent site turnover, but appear to be sufficient to maintain the overall Canadian population. 2000; Martin 2007). 165 pp. The latter rate may represent ideal conditions, because no cowbird parasitism occurred, nest predation rates (41%) were moderate, and all females re–nested at least once (Fauth and Cabe 2005). Productivity may not be sufficient to maintain the Canadian population, and its survival here may be quite dependent on immigration from the large Acadian Flycatcher population in the United States, particularly from Great Lake states bordering southern Ontario. Blancher, P.J., K.V. and P.R. Kennedy, A. Martell, A. Panjabi, D.N. 2000. Nests in Ontario and elsewhere are situated 3 to 9 m high in small trees, saplings and shrubs (Friesen et al. Given the range of reported year–to–year fluctuations in the Ontario population (±50%), the current Acadian Flycatcher breeding population in Canada is estimated to be approximately 50 (range of 25–75) breeding pairs (including some polygynous pairs), or 64 (range 32–100) territorial males, or 112 (60–180) adults. Since 1700, the landscape of southern Ontario has undergone radical changes, from a predominantly forested landscape prior to European settlement, to almost completely deforested by 1900 due to the removal of the forests by early settlers (Larson et al. Unpublished Report for Environment Canada, Interdepartmental Recovery Fund Project # 31, FY 2002–03. The Clements Checklist of the Birds of the World, Sixth Edition. plus appendices. 2007. Single–day occurrences of single birds observed in suitable habitat (and sometimes unsuitable habitat) in June are generally considered to be late migrants or wandering non–breeders. The longevity record for this species (based on banding records) is a female that was at least 12 years, 1 month old (Twedt 2008). Territories range in size from 0.5 to 4.0 ha and are often situated close to streams, vernal pools, or other water features. Breeding distribution of the Acadian Flycatcher in Ontario, showing overall extent of occurrence (adapted from Cadman et al. United States Geological Survey, Patuxtent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD. Parker, T.H., B.M. Martin, D. 2007. Previous COSEWIC status reports on this species were produced by Ross James (2000), and Annette Page and Mike Cadman (1994). 2008). The female typically lays 3 eggs in a cup nest suspended from the outer branches of a tree, at a height of 3 to 9 m. Pairs will usually re–nest if a nest fails and will sometimes nest again after having a successful nest. 1985. She has authored and edited numerous technical reports and was recently the lead writer for three regional landbird conservation plans for Ontario. The index of area of occupancy (IAO) is estimated to be ≤200 km² if a maximum of 50 sites is assumed to be occupied in any given year, and based on a 2 x 2 km grid overlay. COSEWIC assessed this species as Endangered in November 2000. Ottawa. In ravine settings, nests are located near (often over) a stream. comm. Journal of Field Ornithology 70:514–519. Allen et al. BBS long–term trends for Ohio and Pennsylvania over the 1966–2007 period show declines of 2.3%/yr (p=0.04, n=53), and 0.4%/yr (p=0.28, n=78), respectively (Sauer et al. Auk 27:209. Status historyDesignated Endangered in April 1994. [accessed October 2008]. Burke, D. 2007a. This small songbird is very similar in appearance to other Empidonax flycatchers and is best distinguished by its distinctive peet–sa song and other characteristic vocalizations. The Canadian Field–Naturalist 114:689–691. 2006; Rodewald and Shustack 2008). Unpublished report to the Endangered Species Recovery Fund, World Wildlife Fund Canada and Canadian Wildlife Service. Assuming that half of the eight males detected only once were migrants or transients and that no birds were missed at any of the survey sites, then the minimum number of territorial breeding males was 32. This insect currently occupies nearly half of the hemlock’s range, and is spreading northward at an annual rate of ~20 km (see Allen et al. As new sites are discovered, the total number of known sites has gradually increased. Nest predation is the most common cause of nest failure. Robinson, W.D. 1994. Acadian Flycatcher and Hooded Warbler Recovery Activities: 1997 Field Surveys in Southwestern Ontario. Amacher, R.A. Lancia, J.A. Most sites surveyed received only one visit, but follow–up visits were made to most sites where Acadian Flycatchers were detected on the first visit. Predation is the main cause of nest failure in Ontario (Table 1) and elsewhere. Bisson, I.A., D. Martin, and B.J.M. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. At least in some settings, this species is negatively impacted by openings in the forest canopy (e.g., due to selective logging or tree mortality caused by invasive pests), anthropogenic edges, increasing forest fragmentation, and urbanization (Whitehead and Taylor 2002; Bakerman and Rodewald 2006; Hetzel and Leberg 2006; Hoover et al. 595 pp. Both sexes frequently call to each other. [accessed 25 October 2008]. The Ontario Planning Act and the Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) discourages development in the “significant habitat” of endangered and threatened species, including the Acadian Flycatcher (OMMAH2005). Lawrence Plain BCR, which includes southern Ontario, the south shores of lakes Erie and Ontario (New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania), and the St. Lawrence River valley (Quebec and New York) (PIF 2008). Journal of Field Ornithology 77:425–436. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. 2008). 1997; McCracken et al. Nearby areas with a more open canopy and higher regeneration cover are important during the critical post–fledging period (Burke 2007a). Cadman. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. The wintering range of this Neotropical migrant extends from the Caribbean slope of Nicaragua, south through Costa Rica, Panama, Columbia, Venezuela, and Ecuador. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR). Strong site fidelity has also been reported on the wintering grounds (Whitehead and Taylor 2002). Acadian Flycatcher count data for southwestern Ontario, 1997–2007, Table 3. James, R.D. 2000. (2009) predicted a significant decline in Acadian Flycatcher populations and range contractions in the northeastern U.S., particularly in the Appalachian Highlands, owing to large–scale mortality of hemlock from wooly adelgid infestations. See text. The atlas map suggests a northward range expansion beyond the Carolinian region over the 20–year interval between atlases (Martin 2007), but the degree to which this is true is complicated by a concurrent increase in search effort and a general improvement in observer skills. vii + 12 pp. KW405–05–0215, Species at Risk Recovery Program, Environment Canada. Bent Life History for Acadian Flycatcher. Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas (BBA) II 2008. 123:368–382. Its breeding habitat in Canada is important to many other species at risk. Woolfenden, B.E., B.M. 1997; McCracken et al. Factors influencing Acadian Flycatcher nesting succcess in an intensively managed forest landscape. Journal of Animal Ecology 77:83–91. Interim Report for Recovery Team Meeting, 2 November 2004. Definition of the (DD) category revised in 2006. Forest Resources of Ontario 2006: State of the Forest Report 2006. 28 pp. 2005; Rodewald and Shustack 2008), where densities of breeding birds are much greater. Summary Report, Contract # KW404–07–0824. She was the Regional Coordinator for the Long Point region for the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas from 2003–05. Acadian Flycatcher, pp. 2008). Breeding distribution of the Acadian Flycatcher in Ontario, showing overall extent of occurrence, Figure 3. Atlas data from adjacent jurisdictions (New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio) show stable or increasing trends. This species was one of a suite of rare birds included in the Ontario Rare Breeding Bird Program (ORBBP), the Ontario Birds at Risk (OBAR) program, and surveys of Carolinian forest birds (Austen et al. At Long Point, it is an irregular rare spring migrant, with a maximum of 8 individuals banded in a year (Long Point Bird Observatory unpubl. Population size is <2500 mature individuals but there is no evidence for decline or extreme fluctuation in numbers. The breeding range of this species corresponds closely to the Eastern Avifaunal Biome, being widely distributed in forested landscapes east of the Great Plains (Rich et al. Jon McCracken, Director of National Programs, Bird Studies Canada, Port Rowan, Ontario. Habitat Identification and Mapping for the Acadian Flycatcher, Hooded Warbler and Prothonotary Warbler in Southern Ontario. This species may also be vulnerable to the spread of invasive alien plant species that alter forest structure by increasing understorey density and/or suppress the regeneration of native trees and shrubs (e.g., invasive honeysuckle shrubs, Lonicera spp., and Garlic Mustard, Alliaria petiolata). Annotated Checklist of the Birds of Ontario, Second Edition. In contrast, owing to high population densities, individual territories in Pennsylvania tend to be occupied perennially despite turnover in breeding individuals (Woolfenden et al. 1998; Carson et al. 2007). 1909. FBMP sites consist of three to six off–road point count stations situated in large mature forests in which little or no active forest management is underway. Mitigation and Adaption Strategies for Global Change 13:517–540. NatureServe. OWA (Ontario Woodlot Association) 2009. Report for Environment Canada’s Habitat Stewardship Program. 2008. Preliminary coarse–scale habitat modelling exercises based on landcover data suggested that the amount of potential habitat for Acadian Flycatchers in southern Ontario may be as much as two orders of magnitude greater than the present area of occupancy (Flaxman 2004). The Woodland Heritage of Southern Ontario: A study of ecological change, distribution, and significance. All counties in the Carolinian region now have tree–cutting bylaws except for Essex and Chatham–Kent (OWA 2009). This outright habitat loss is being partially offset by tree planting and ecological restoration efforts (which have increased in recent years), and by strategic efforts to expand interior forest conditions in core forest complexes known to be important to this species. Long–term changes in the extent and distribution of woodlands in southern Ontario have been described by Larson et al. Canadian Atlas of Bird Banding, Volume 1: Doves, Cuckoos, and Hummingbirds through Passerines, 1921–1995. This species is considered a focal species because it is relatively easy to study and because it is considered a sensitive indicator of habitat conditions at a range of scales. Whitmore. comm. ** Formerly described as “Not In Any Category”, or “No Designation Required.”*** Formerly described as “Indeterminate” from 1994 to 1999 or “ISIBD” (insufficient scientific information on which to base a designation) prior to 1994. Acadian Flycatcher record (April 2007 draft) in Managed Element Status Assessment database, Part 1: Element Distribution Information. Polygyny rates in Ontario are variable (e.g., 7 of 29 males in 2002–03, 3 of 16 territorial males in 2007) and appear to be higher than elsewhere (e.g., 3 in 135 territories in Pennsylvania; Woolfenden and Stutchbury 2004a,b; Woolfenden et al. Statutes of Ontario 2007, Chapter 6. [accessed 27 October 2008]. The Acadian Flycatcher is a habitat specialist with specific breeding habitat requirements at various spatial scales (Bakerman and Rodewald 2006). Ottawa. The figures reported in Table 2 include unmated, monogamously paired and polygynous males, and males whose breeding status was not determined. Environment Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, Ottawa, ON. Using average pairing success (70%) and polygyny (20%) rates for the Ontario population (see Life Cycle and Reproduction), the 2007 count is estimated to consist of approximately 10 unmated territorial males, 18 monogamous pairs, and 4 polygynous groups (each consisting of one male and two females), for a total count of about 56 adults (32 territorial males and 24 paired females). 2005). All Acadian Flycatchers breeding in Canada are within a single geographic region. data). Observed pairing success rates in Ontario are highly variable from year to year but are considerably lower (70% average at core sites) than observed in areas of higher population densities (91% average over 4 years in a Pennsylvania study area; Woolfenden et al. 2000. Iverson, A. Prassad, T.S. The proportion of unpaired birds in the Ontario population is difficult to determine, with estimates ranging from 10% to 50%. Online Version 6.3.2, Updated December 2008. 1994). Responses of Acadian Flycatchers (Empidonax virescens) to hemlock wooly adelgid (Adelges tsugae) infestation in Appalachian riparian forests. Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, ON. Extrapolated from counts of territorial and paired males during directed searches of known and potential habitat in southern Ontario conducted in 2007. In ravine situations, however, territories can be linear and the species appears to be less sensitive to edge effects. Aire de reproduction du Moucherolle vert en Ontario, montrant la zone d'occurrence globale (d'après Cadman et al., 2007). However, the response to these factors is not always consistent across the breeding range, possibly because these effects can be masked by other landscape–level effects such as elevated predator and brood parasite populations (Robinson and Robinson 1999; Bell and Whitmore 2000; Hazler et al. Territorial birds are reported fairly regularly during early summer at Point Pelee National Park, but breeding has not been confirmed (Wormington 2006). Auk 26:430, Saunders, W.E. Planning decisions requiring municipal approval must be consistent with the PPS. The above percentage figures do not necessarily represent the actual relative importance of individual tree species, because the high use of species like hemlock and flowering dogwood was only recently discovered during special search efforts by the Recovery Team in the last decade or so. However, given the consistency of past survey results, it seems probable that about half of all occupied sites were included in the 2007 surveys. No estimates available for the other 19 squares. 2000). Habitat in the eastern United States is much more extensive than in Ontario, including large areas of high forest cover in the core part of the species’ breeding range. Becker, and P.S. COSEWIC comprises members from each provincial and territorial government wildlife agency, four federal entities (Canadian Wildlife Service, Parks Canada Agency, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and the Federal Biodiversity Information Partnership, chaired by the Canadian Museum of Nature), three non–government science members and the co–chairs of the species specialist subcommittees and the Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge subcommittee. 346–347 in McGowan, K.R. Stansberry, C.D. comm. Nest productivity statistics for Acadian Flycatcher nests in southern Ontario, 2001–04, Table 2. 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Females appear to have lower return rates than males (Walkinshaw 1966; Rodewald and Shustack 2008). Website: [accessed October 2008]. Second clutches are generally smaller than first clutches. This is the only member of the confusing Empidonax group to nest in most parts of the deep south. 1999. 1987; Cadman et al. Little is known about the migratory behaviour of this species (Whitehead and Taylor 2002). If this insect spreads into southern Ontario as expected, then large–scale mortality of hemlock will quickly follow, effectively decimating the amount of suitable nesting habitat for Acadian Flycatchers in ravine situations. Regional forest cover is below the 30% minimum guideline for sustaining forest bird biodiversity (Environment Canada 2004) in all parts of the Carolinian region, and is less than 5% in some parts of the region. The opportunity for extra–pair copulations and conspecific social interactions may influence the selection of breeding sites (Woolfenden et al. 2008. With the aid of the literature there and the images we had taken, we came to the conclusion that it was an Acadian Flycatcher, due to the structure, the long primaries and the longish broad bill. However, it takes many decades before re–forested (or heavily harvested) areas attain sufficient maturity to be attractive to Acadian Flycatchers. 2004; PIF 2008). This was followed by a trend of reoccupation of its former range starting in the 1960s, likely facilitated by maturation of second–growth forests in the northeastern United States (Whitehead and Taylor 2002). 24 September 2007. Reason for designationIn Canada, this species is restricted to certain types of mature forest in southern Ontario. Since 1990 she has worked as a biologist for non–profit environmental organizations and consulting firms. 2003; and Heagy and Badzinski 2008). Return rates for the Ontario population (small sample size) are highly variable: males 58% in 2003, 25% in 2004; and females 71% in 2003, 6% in 2004 (Woolfenden and Stutchbury 2004b). In Canada, the Acadian Flycatcher breeds locally in southern Ontario, primarily within the Carolinian biogeographic region in southwestern Ontario. Reproductive success of Acadian Flycatcher in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Debbie Badzinski (Bird Studies Canada) provided access to the Acadian Flycatcher/Hooded Warbler Recovery Team database. Order in Council No. COSEWIC assessment and update status report on the Acadian Flycatcher Empidonax virescens in Canada. data). Ontario Birds at Risk: Status and Conservation Needs. 3 pp. 1999. 2006; Chapas–Vargas and Robinson 2006; Chapas–Vargas and Robinson 2007). Breeding distribution of the Acadian Flycatcher in Ontario, showing overall extent of occurrence (adapted from Cadman et al. Search effort in forested areas north of the Carolinian region has been largely limited to coverage by atlas and other volunteers. 2006. 1989. Acadian FlycatcherThe Acadian flycatcher is a small flycatcher. [accessed 27 October 2008]. Auk 124:1267–1280. Stutchbury. Dawn Burke, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, London, Ontario. Collectively, these threats to habitat greatly reduce potential for rescue from adjacent U.S. populations. Feather and blood samples collected in 2003 from Acadian Flycatchers breeding in Canada and the Great Lakes states have not yet been analyzed (Woolfenden and Stutchbury 2003; Stutchbury, pers. An early spring influx of Acadian Flycatchers (Empidonax virescens)into southern Ontario, April 2014 Kenneth G.D. Burrell, Mike V.A. Some are also descended from the Indigenous peoples of the region. Lawrence Plain (North American Bird Conservation Region 13), Priorities, Objectives and Recommended Actions. Pashley, K.V. In ravine and riparian settings in Ontario and the northeastern U.S., this species shows a strong preference for sites with an Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) component (Martin 2007; Becker et al. Within a physiographic region, this species exhibits a high degree of habitat specificity at various scales (Bakerman and Rodewald 2006). Sauer, J.R., J.E.