White-eyed Vireo

The White-eyed Vireo is a migratory songbird more frequently detected by ear than by eye. Although this species is cryptic in both plumage and behavior, male White-eyed Vireos compensate with explosive and complex singing. Individuals have repertoires of a dozen or more distinct songs, each comprising of six to ten highly variable elements. Because of their complex song delivery, this species is a compelling subject for studies of vocal communication.

About White-eyed Vireos

Thickets and scrubby areas seem to vibrate with the spunky song of White-eyed Vireos every summer in the south-eastern United States. From the depths of a thicket, a yellow-spectacled bird peers through, its white eye gleaming and its yellow sides shining. They forage in the understory often out of sight but sings nearly all day to let you know that they are there. Today, we want to be talking a little more about these energetic, singing machines. We will be discussing:

● White-eyed Vireo Photos, Color Pattern, Song
● White-eyed Vireo Size, Eating Behavior, Habitat
● White-eyed Vireo Range and Migration, Nesting

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White-eyed Vireo Color Pattern

The upper parts of adults are greenish-gray or olive green, tinged with yellow, while the neck is more grayish. The underparts are near white below, including the throat, with the sides and flanks yellow. The undertail-coverts are a greenish gray with some yellow, while the wings and tail are grayish brown, edged with yellow to olive. The wings have 2 white to yellowish-white wing bars. A wide yellow stripe extends from base of the upper mandible of their bill over top of and nearly around eye. An indistinct brown line is also present between the base of the mandible and eye. Their iris is white, but sometimes flecked with brown in adults.

The iris is brownish in immatures, up until about the first November of the hatching year. Their legs are bluish-gray while their bill is a shiny black, sometimes edged in yellow. The upper mandible is hooked downward at the tip. Both sexes look similar to each other in plumage.

Description and Identification

The easiest way to locate these elusive birds is by tracing their singing back to the source. They often sing well into the heat of the day from their perches. Once you hear their song, look around thick brambles and scrub to try and find a small blur of yellow peeking out. Follow the song with a pair of binoculars while you try to find them. They have the tendency to stretch out their neck and point their bill upwards before shrinking back down on the final chirp. They resemble Bell’s Vireos but lack their darker eyes and bright yellow above the lores.

White-eyed Vireo Song

A very large part of each bird’s repertoire comes from their fathers or their neighbors. They may also copy the calls of other bird species as and when they see fit. There is a sensitive learning period soon after fledging for these birds. The songs themselves are brief and tend to last about a second in duration. They always begin and end in a short chip note. Due to the high-pitched nature of these songs, they pierce through the dense foliage and seem to be extraordinarily loud for a bird of that size.

They also have a rambling song that is loosely constructed of continuous squeaky, harsh notes that seem to resemble warbling. This song is sung by the males in a variety of contexts and can also be heard by immature birds from time to time. They also produce a chatter vocalization, a rapid series of monosyllabic, harsh, nasal, and raspy tones that sound like “chee” or “ehh”. These bursts are variable and generally last for several seconds, often
given in situations where they are in direct conflict with conspecifics or predators. In situations where they are under immediate threat, adults emit a shrill squeal or a distress call that can be variable in repetition, length, and intensity.

Both males and females of a mated pair utter contact notes. This is a quiet call that can be best described as a “zip” or a “vit”. This is produced at random intervals when the pair is in close proximity to each other. They may also produce a softer “pik” call. Females let this sound out during copulation and males letting it out during aggressive situations. Like nestlings of other species, the young White-eyed Vireos also let out a begging call that becomes larger and clearer as they grow older.

White-eyed Vireo Size

White-eyed Vireos are small songbirds that are about 4.3-5.1 inches long with a thick, straight, and slightly hooked bill. They have a compact body and a thick neck. Their wings are medium-sized and have an approximate wingspan of 6.7 inches. These small birds weigh very little and are around 0.3-0.5 ounces.

White-eyed Vireo Behavior

Adults and young birds hop among branches and are rarely on the ground. Their flights are usually short with rapid wing beats and their tail is used to maneuver themselves as they fly, and for maintaining balance. They have been observed to engage in a fluttering flight during the courtship periods and during aggressive encounters.

Territorial encounters are typically only between males. Although physical fights are rare, males chase each other and flap at each other with their wings during such situations. Males defend their territories against intruding males with wing flicking, fluffing, and sleeking their feathers as well as by pecking at their perch or feet. These territorial fights are also typically only seen during the breeding seasons. Males tend to return to their territories from the previous breeding season. In many cases, they try to expand on their current territory if their surroundings are unoccupied by other male White-eyed Vireos.

Courtship begins soon after the females arrive and pairs maintain their monogamous bond during the breeding season. Their courtship rituals involve unmated males chasing females in a manner that is very similar to the aggressive encounters between males. However, older males approach females by emitting contact calls. The process of courtship can take anywhere from a couple of hours to a couple of days before the pair copulates.

They tend to return to the same breeding area year after year, but not always with the same mate. Like other Vireos, males and females both incubate the eggs and contribute to feeding nestlings. Despite this biparental care, many White-eyed Vireo nests are parasitized by Brown-headed Cowbirds. They lay one or more eggs in a Vireo’s nest leaving parenting up to the Vireo, whose own young do not survive.

White-eyed Vireo Diet

White-eyed Vireos are primarily insectivores. Their prey mainly includes caterpillars, flies, beetles, moths, butterflies, leafhoppers, lacewings, and spiders. They forage in an extremely deliberate, precise manner as they slowly hop around their territories while looking for prey to eat. They generally swallow small items on the spot, but if the prey is larger, they pin them down with their feet before consuming them. During the nonbreeding seasons when insect populations are relatively scarce, they feed on the fruit from sumac, dogwood, poison ivy, pokeweed, and wax myrtle. Tropical fruits from Bursera trees may also make up a substantial part of their diet.

White-eyed Vireo Habitat

These songbirds can be found in wood edges, brush, brambles, and other kinds of undergrowth. They breed in various kinds of dense low growth, including briar triangles on low swampy ground, shrubby thickets of maple, streamside thickets, second-growth forests, bramble-filled fields, wild plum, willow, and other saplings in overgrown pastures. They frequent scrubby habitats in open woods or near forest edges all year long and maintain similar habitats throughout the year.

Range and Migration

These birds are found breeding in the south-eastern United States. Their breeding range extends from New Jersey, west to Missouri, and south to Texas, Florida, and eastern Mexico. There are also significant populations that breed in northern Central America, Cuba, and the Bahamas. Populations that are present along the Gulf coast of the United States and further south are permanent residents of their habitats and do not migrate. However, populations that are present further north can be found migrating short distances southwards to escape the harsh winters.

White-eyed Vireo Lifecycle

Females may have one or two broods during the breeding seasons, with each brood having a clutch size of 3-5 whitish eggs approximately. Incubation is carried out by both parents for 13-15 days, though their nests are commonly parasitized by Cowbirds. After the eggs hatch, the chicks emerge in a completely helpless state as they are naked and have their eyes closed. Nestlings are fed by both the parents until they are ready to leave the nest in another 9-11 days. The number of broods in a season depends on which part of the range their populations are in. Populations in the north only have one brood per year, but populations in the south may have two.

Nesting

Nest sites are selected by the females by sitting and twisting between small branches that form a horizontal fork. They generally tend to pick a Y-shaped fork in a shrub that is around 2-6 feet above the ground.

The construction of the nest is carried out by both members of the pair. They collect silk and spiderweb and weave them around the fork until it makes a lacy shell. White-eyed Vireos then stick leaves, bark, plant fibers, rootlets, and other bits of paper to the spiderweb shell. They also stick lichens, moss, or leaves to the outside for additional camouflage. The female is responsible for the lining of the interiors, which she does with rootlets, fine grass, or hair. The construction of the nest can take anywhere from 2 to 5 days to complete.

Anatomy of a White-eyed Vireo

White-eyed Vireos are small songbirds with thick, straight, and slightly hooked bills. They have a rather compact body and a thick neck, along with medium-sized legs and a long tail. They derive their names from their luminescent, white eyes, a feature that can often be found speckled with brown among adults.

Final Thoughts

White-eyed Vireos have been steadily increasing in number since 1970 according to Partners in Flight, with an estimated yearly increase of 33% since 2014. As a result, its conservation status labels it as a species of least concern. This is good news for all of us as the chances of us encountering their songs is that much higher.

These birds have a special place in not only the cultural memory of North America but also through the geological importance that they hold to the continent. A 400,000-year-old wing bone from a White-eyed Vireo was found from the late Pleistocene era, making it North America’s only fossil record for the whole vireo family. These birds give us all a glimpse into the past through their present selves. So, if you live anywhere around their range, try finding them. Keep your ears open for their songs and experience the small pieces of history that nature has preserved for us.

Ornithology

Bird Watching Academy & Camp Subscription Boxes

At the Bird Watching Academy & Camp we help kids, youth, and adults get excited and involved in bird watching. We have several monthly subscription boxes that you can subscribe to. Our monthly subscription boxes help kids, youth, and adults learn about birds, bird watching, and bird conservation.

Bird Watching Binoculars for Identifying White-eyed Vireos

The most common types of bird watching binoculars for viewing White-eyed Vireos are 8×21 binoculars and 10×42 binoculars. Bird Watching Academy & Camp sells really nice 8×21 binoculars and 10×42 binoculars. You can view and purchase them here.

White-eyed Vireo Stickers

Stickers are a great way for you to display your love for bird watching and the White-eyed Vireo. We sell a monthly subscription sticker pack. The sticker packs have 12 bird stickers. These sticker packs will help your kids learn new birds every month.

Bird Feeders For White-eyed Vireos

There are many types of bird feeders. Here are our favorite bird feeders for your backyard. We use all of these bird feeders currently. Kids will have a great time watching birds eat at these bird feeders. Using this collection of bird feeders will provide a wide variety and many types of birds.

Best Bird Houses For White-eyed Vireos

There are many types of bird houses. Building a bird house is always fun but can be frustrating. Getting a bird house for kids to watch birds grow is always fun. If you spend a little extra money on bird houses, it will be well worth every penny and they’ll look great.