Species

Yellow-throated vireo

Vireo flavifrons

A bright yellow-throated vireo with spectacles, singing slow, burry phrases high in open woods.

Photo Unknown photographer (opens in a new tab) / iNaturalist, CC0 1.0 (opens in a new tab)

At a glance

Size: About 13 to 15 cm long
Weight: About 15 to 21 g
Habitat: Open deciduous woods, forest edges and river bottoms
Diet: Insects
In Georgia: A common summer resident, April to September
Voice: A slow, burry "three-eight, three-eight"
Rabies vector: No

Identification

Key marks: Bright yellow throat and breast; yellow spectacles; olive head; grey back; white belly; two white wing bars
Told apart from: Pine warbler, which has a thin bill and streaked sides
Told apart from: White-eyed vireo, which has a white eye and white throat
Where to look: High in tall trees at forest edges

Behaviour

Yellow-throated vireos forage slowly in the tree canopy, searching leaves for caterpillars.

Why they matter

Yellow-throated vireos need tall trees at forest edges and along rivers, and they are sensitive to pesticide use. They eat many leaf-eating caterpillars.

Reproduction and lifecycle

Nest — A hanging cup decorated with lichen in a tree fork
Eggs — Usually four
Incubation — About 13 to 15 days
Chicks — Fed by both parents
Flight — At about 15 to 17 days
Lifespan — Several years

Living around people

Tall trees along rivers and forest edges are their habitat.

Misconceptions

Yellow birds are always warblers or finches. This one is a vireo.

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	Arriving late in the month	Arriving	Nesting	Nesting	Young fledging	Present	Leaving	Last birds	In Central America	In Central America

Where it lives

Recorded in 50 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.

Canada

Mexico

If you found one

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