Vireo plumbeus
The distinctive 'spectacles' of the Plumbeous Vireo frame the bird's eyes and identify this songbird as it flits about in the trees. The white frames are among the boldest of eye rings belonging to songbirds. During courtship, male Plumbeous Vireos fluff out their yellow flanks and bob ceremoniously to their prospective mates. The slow, high-pitched song is richer in quality than that of the Red-eyed Vireo, and it is more commonly heard in the Rocky Mountains. The Plumbeous Vireo was formerly grouped with the Blue-headed Vireo and the Cassin's Vireo as one species, the Solitary Vireo.
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I.D.: Sexes similar: white 'spectacles'; 2 white wing bars; gray head and upperparts; white underparts; gray flanks; dark tail; stout bill; dark legs. Size: L 51/2 in. (14 cm). Range: uncommon to common migrant and summer visitor throughout the Rockies. Habitat: coniferous forests mixed with deciduous trees, frequently with dense understorey shrubs, in the montane. Nesting: in a horizontal fork in a coniferous tree; hanging, basket-like cup nest is made of grass, roots, plant down, spider's silk and cocoons; pair incubates 4 eggs for 14 days. Feeding: gleans foliage for invertebrates; occasionally hover-gleans to pluck insects from vegetation. Voice: Male: slow, purposeful robin-like notes: look up see me here I am. Similar Species: Warbling Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo and Tennessee Warbler : all lack the white 'spectacles.' |
