Warbling Vireo
Vireo gilvus
Summary 7
The Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus) is a small North American songbird.
Distribution 8
Vireo gilvus, or warbling vireos, inhabit the Nearctic and Neotropical regions. This species breeds across nearly the entire United States, excluding the southeast region. The breeding range reaches north to include the southwest Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and the southwest corner of Manitoba. They also breed in the southern portions of the Northwest Territories, Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick. Few populations breed in Mexico but are restricted to the Sierre Madre Occidental region. Vireo gilvus is a migratory species that overwinters in Central America from Mexico to the northern edges of Nicaragua.
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native ); neotropical (Native )
Morphology 9
Vireo gilvus is a smaller vireo, measuring 14 cm in length, 21.6 cm from wingtip to wingtip and weighing in at 12 g. They are overall olive-gray above, with a gray crown that contrasts only slightly with their olive-gray backs. Like many vireos they feature a white supercilium and gray eyestripe. The eyestripe and lores for this species are a pale gray which gives them a "blank-faced" look that distinguishes them from other, more boldly patterned vireos. The flanks and sides are a pale yellow, while the throat, breast and belly are nearly white. Beaks and legs are dark gray to black in color. This species exhibits no sexual dimorphism or distinctive juvenile plumage.
Average mass: 12.0 g.
Average length: 14.0 cm.
Average wingspan: 21.6 cm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: sexes alike
Habitat 10
Vireo gilvus prefers to breed in deciduous or mixed deciduous-coniferous woodlands with adequate canopy openings. Forested riversides and thickets are also potential nesting habitats. They occasionally inhabit young successional stands. They may also be found in urban parks, gardens, orchards or hedgerows. During the non-breeding season Vireo gilvus inhabits a wider range of habitats including second growth forests, plantations, oak forests, and coniferous forests. They are common in shade-grown coffee plantations which retain native canopy trees and shrubs. During migration, common stopover sites include deciduous forest, shrubby habitats, and scrub forests in the southwest. Throughout all seasons, Vireo gilvus avoids boreal or pine dominated habitats. They inhabit elevations of up to 3,000 m.
Range elevation: 3,000 (high) m.
Habitat Regions: temperate ; tropical ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: forest ; scrub forest
Other Habitat Features: urban ; agricultural ; riparian
Migration 11
Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.
Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).
Locally Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.
Migrates to U.S. nesting range April-May (Terres 1980).
Sources and Credits
- (c) Rick Leche - Photography, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), http://www.flickr.com/photos/64649343@N00/2811898697
- (c) BJ Stacey, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8120/8661153836_bd94f77877_o.jpg
- (c) BJ Stacey, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8118/8660052061_f840a5f4fb_o.jpg
- (c) BJ Stacey, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8124/8660143841_4d5198c268_o.jpg
- (c) BJ Stacey, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8402/8701502951_ff6be82c3e_o.jpg
- (c) BJ Stacey, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7287/8741848692_98abed9b7c_o.jpg
- (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vireo_gilvus
- (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31429590
- (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31429592
- (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31429591
- (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28846524
