Chaetura pelagica breeds in eastern North America as far north as southern Canada, and occasionally in California and Arizona (USA). It is a migratory species, wintering in eastern Ecuador, Peru, north-west Brazil and northern Chile¹. The Canadian population, which occupies one quarter of the breeding range, is estimated at just 11,820 breeding individuals³, although the global population has been estimated at 15,000,000 individuals⁶. Trends have been recorded through North America between 1966 and 2007, with a decline of 5.5% per year in Canada (total decline of 90%) and 1.8% per year in the USA (total decline of 53%). Overall, during this period the population has declined by 1.9% per year, though this decline has accelerated in recent years, reaching a decline of 2.8% per year between 1980 and 2008⁵ (total decline of 40% over this period)⁴.