Species

Warbling vireo

Vireo gilvus

A plain, pale vireo with a rambling, warbling song, a scarce migrant and rare nester in Georgia.

Photo Donald Davesne (opens in a new tab) / iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab)

Communication

At a glance

Size: About 12 to 14 cm long
Weight: About 10 to 16 g
Habitat: Tall trees along rivers and in open woods
Diet: Insects, especially caterpillars; some fruit
In Georgia: A rare migrant; very local as a nesting bird in the north
Voice: A long, rambling, warbling song
Rabies vector: No

Identification

Key marks: Pale grey above; whitish below; faint pale eyebrow; no wing bars
Told apart from: Philadelphia vireo, which is yellower on the throat
Told apart from: Red-eyed vireo, which has a bold black-edged eyebrow
Where to look: Tall trees along rivers during migration

Behaviour

Warbling vireos sing constantly from high in the canopy, even while sitting on the nest.

Why they matter

Warbling vireos are one of the most widespread vireos in North America, though scarce in Georgia. Their persistent singing makes them easy to find where they occur.

Reproduction and lifecycle

Nest — A hanging cup high in a tree fork
Eggs — Usually four
Incubation — About 12 to 14 days
Chicks — Fed by both parents
Flight — At about 12 to 16 days
Lifespan — Several years

Living around people

Tall streamside trees are their habitat.

Misconceptions

A bird that sings on its nest gives it away. Warbling vireos do it anyway.

Related species

Seasonal activity

When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.

Breeding and active nests by month for this species
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Breeding	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Active nests	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Notes	In Central America	In Central America	In Central America	Migrating north	Migrants	Nesting farther north	Nesting	Migrating south	Migrants	Last migrants	In Central America	In Central America

Where it lives

Recorded in 82 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.

Canada

If you found one

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