Save an endangered southwest willow flycatcher

During the summer months, willow flycatchers migrate to North America. where they breed. They are known to breed as far north as Alaska but mostly in the Southwestern US. Hence the name! They migrate south again for the winter months, mostly to Mexico and Central America, but as far south as Colombia and Venezuela.

Beyond this, little is known about the detailed routes and movements of this species which is why Paso Pacifico is pressing for better international monitoring. In partnersip with Southern Wing, MOTUS sensor stations will be installed in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua. This will enable us to see exactly where these birds nest, and migrate, and in what numbers.We aim to have 6 new MOTUS sites up and running by the end of 2026. Birds will also be tagged for detection. 

From December through March we will again be monitoring 3 specific sites in Eastern El Salvador. These sites are located near wetlands where willow flycatchers spend their winters. This is the 4th year we have done this.

Thank you for your donations which go towards preserving this endangered species.

Your support for our Willow Flycatcher project continues to make a difference. Although we were unable to carry out surveys in Nicaragua this wintering season due to a lack of funding, we are now in our third year of monitoring the species in El Salvador.

This year, we welcomed a recent college graduate to our team who is leading surveys at three sites, with Willow Flycatchers observed at each one. Notably, a high number of detections have been recorded at Laguna Olomega, where we are also working on other conservation projects. These efforts, such as creating the Ojo de Agua Reserve through the purchase of 100 acres, cleaning waterways, and preventing forest fires in the surrounding area, may be contributing to the presence of Willow Flycatchers.

We are continuing our efforts to map habitats and land use in and around Laguna Olomega to identify potential conservation interventions.

In February, Executive Director Sarah Otterstrom represented us at the Pacific Flyway Council’s Non-game Bird Committee meeting in Utah, where she shared our work and helped lay the foundation for future collaborations to support Willow Flycatcher conservation.

Thank you for supporting our work to study and protect the Willow Flycatcher, and for being a valued part of Paso Pacifico’s conservation efforts in the dry forests of Central America.

Warm regards,
The Paso Pacifico Team