9239/12453
[ stop the slideshow ]

Warbling Vireo

Warbling Vireo.jpg Cedar WaxwingThumbnailsBlack and White WarblerCedar WaxwingThumbnailsBlack and White WarblerCedar WaxwingThumbnailsBlack and White WarblerCedar WaxwingThumbnailsBlack and White WarblerCedar WaxwingThumbnailsBlack and White WarblerCedar WaxwingThumbnailsBlack and White WarblerCedar WaxwingThumbnailsBlack and White Warbler

Warbling Vireo

The Warbling Vireo is not colorful. If you happen to see his back, you will see he is a grayish olive-green, slightly grayer on the head. When looked at from below, and that is the way you generally see him, you may see a tinge of yellow on the white under parts. A white line over the eye is the only other marking. But don’t give up; you will note the slow, deliberate vireo movement. He loves to sing and soon you will hear a pleasing series of notes, all connected but each note on a different pitch; a wave of bird notes, not hurried but clear and musical. This song could be confused with that of the Purple Finch but the latter is slightly higher in pitch and faster.

Unlike other vireos, he likes to nest in the high, deciduous trees which line the streets of cities and towns. Parks and farm homes also offer suitable habitat. The nest is a neat structure, placed near the end of a drooping branch on some well-developed tree; one which is growing in the open, for these small birds like plenty of room around their homes. The male is so proud of his home he often sings while taking his turn with the incubating.