STATUS: Locally common.
HABITAT: Prefers Douglas-fir and Engelmann spruce forests at elevations of 6,500 to 9,000 feet, but also inhabits ponderosa pine, oak, aspen, and riparian stands and seems to favor southern exposures.
NEST: Places nest nearly always on the ground, concealed beneath or beside a sheltering log, rock, sapling, or tuft of grass, usually on a well-drained bank or hillside.
FOOD: Searches for food through the outer branches of conifer trees and flycatches. Primarily eats insects. (Food habits have not been studied.)
REFERENCES: Griscom and Sprunt 1979, Scott and Gottfried 1983.