#species feature

[proton-wobbler]

Blue-headed Vireo

[image ID: a songbird with a dark eye set within white "spectacles". the rest of the birds head is gray, with a bright white throat and breast offset by yellow sides. the back is olive, and the two wingbars are cream colored. the bill and feet are dark blue. end ID]

Song:

Macaulay Library ML244370311; © Jay McGowan; Hamilton, New York, United States

Scientific Name: Vireo solitarius

IUCN Rating: Least Concern

Habitat & Location: a forest generalist which breeds in Canada, the Northeast US, and Appalachian mountains; they overwinter in the Southern US, Mexico, and Central America

Fun Fact: the Easternmost and brightest of the "Solitary Vireo" complex, which was one species now split into three

[image ID: a map of North America showing the range of this species. the red region, which signifies breeding range, includes most of the southern Providences of Canada, as well as the Northeast and Appalachian mountains. the blue region, denoting overwinter range, is the southern US, eastern and southern Mexico, and most of Central America. the yellow region between the two shows the migratory region, and spreads from the Atlantic coast to almost the Rockies. end ID]

Image Sources: bird (Will Bennett); map (birds of the world)

[animalids]

Musky rat-kangaroo (Hypsiprymnodon moschatus)

Photo by Steve Arlow

[proton-wobbler]

Warbling Vireo

[image ID: a drab, singing songbird. the crown is gray-brown, as is the back and wings. the face, throat, and belly are white. the eye is dark, with a thin eyeline running through. the bill and feet are gray-blue. end ID]

Song:

Macaulay Library ML461846551; © Daniel Jauvin; Nicolet-Yamaska, Quebec, Canada

Scientific Name: Vireo gilvus

IUCN Rating: Least Concern

Habitat & Location: breeds throughout most of deciduous North America and overwinters in Mexico and northern Central America

Fun Fact: their constant singing has been described as "a happy drunk making a conversational point at a party"

[image ID: a map of North America where almost all of the United States is colored red (except the deep South), as well as the western Providences in Canada. a blue strip runs from western Mexico down through the south, to Nicaragua. there is a small section of yellow between these two zones. the red is breeding range, blue is overwintering range, and yellow is migratory range. end ID]

Image Sources: bird (Michael Stubblefield); map (birds of the world)

[proton-wobbler]

Black-capped Vireo

[image ID: a singing songbird, with a striking pattern. its head is completely black, as are the bill, feet, and inside of the mouth. a reddish-brown eye is set against a white mask, and the throat, breast, and belly are also bright white. the back is hard to see, but is olive, and there is a little bit of yellow that can be seen on the wings and sides. end ID]

Song:

Macaulay Library ML333366131; © Andrew Spencer; Comanche, Oklahoma, United States

Scientific Name: Vireo atricapilla

IUCN Rating: Near Threatened

Habitat & Location: breeds in scrub oak in Texas, Oklahoma, and Coahuila, MX; overwinters along the southwestern region of Mexico.

Fun Fact: this is the only species of vireo to show sexual dimorphisim- males have a striking black cap while females caps are gray

[image ID: a zoomed in map of Mexico and the mid-southern United States. the red section denotes the area where the bird breeds, which is a stripe of land in central Oklahoma, central Texas, and a slight portion of southern Kansas and northern Coahuila. the blue section denotes where the bird overwinters in the non-breeding season, which is the southwestern and southern edge of Mexico. end ID]

Image Sources: bird (Andrew Spencer); map (birds of the world)

[proton-wobbler]

Tepui Vireo

[image ID: a slightly blurry photo of a songbird. the head is gray and the eye is white. the throat and belly are pale yellow, and the bill is pink. the tail is gray. end ID]

Song:

Macaulay Library ML437280701; © Arthur Gomes; Roraima, Brazil

Scientific Name: Vireo sclateri

IUCN Rating: Least Concern

Habitat & Location: found in the tepui highlands of southern Venezuela, western Guyana, and northern Brazil

Fun Fact: with only 270 sightings on eBird and 10 photos, this is our least "reported" vireo in the tourney

[image ID: a zoomed in map of northern South America, with a purple-colored sideways L along southern Venezuela and headed towards Guayana. there are two disjunct populations in southern Guayana and central Suriname. the color denotes year-round residence. end ID]

Image Sources: bird (Gabriel Leite); map (birds of the world)

[proton-wobbler]

Cuban Vireo

[image ID: a drab songbird with a heavy bill, which is dark gray. the eye is brown, and an off-white patch is behind it. the head and nape is gray and the throat and belly are pale yellow. the feet and legs are blue. a white wingbar can faintly be seen. end ID]

Song:

Macaulay Library ML325050531; © Josep del Hoyo; Matanzas, Cuba

Scientific Name: Vireo gundlachii

IUCN Rating: Least Concern

Habitat & Location: endemic to Cuba and found in thickets and brush along the edge of forests and scrubland

Fun Fact: the scientific name was given to honor zoologist Juan Gundlach, a German-born man who kickstarted the study of natural sciences in Puerto Rico and Cuba

[image ID: a zoomed in map of Cuba, which is colored completely purple. this color means the bird lives here year-round. end ID]

Image Sources: bird (Wayne Fidler); map (birds of the world)

[proton-wobbler]

Gray Vireo

[image ID: a drab songbird, with a gray head and white eyering surrounding a dark eye. the bill is blue-gray. the throat and belly are white. end ID]

Song:

Macaulay Library ML260988411; © Andrew Spencer; Dolores, Colorado, United States

Scientific Name: Vireo vicinior

IUCN Rating: Least Concern

Habitat & Location: found in pinyon-juniper, mesquite and oak scrub, and chaparral of the Southwest; overwinter in Sonora and Baja California Sur and a portion of western Texas

Fun Fact: Overwintering birds sometimes pair up and guard a territory, which is unusual for migrating birds

[image ID: a map of the Southwest United States and northern Mexico. colored red, which denotes breeding range, is a portion of the 4-corners, with most of that area in Arizona and New Mexico. other red portions are literal spots in California, Baja California, and Coahuila. the blue portion, denoting overwintering range, is in southern Arizona, Sonora, and Baja California Sur. there is a portion in Texas near Big Bend which is colored purple to show year-round residence. there is also a portion of blue to the west and a strip of red to the east near this section. end ID]

Image Sources: bird (Phil Chaon); map (birds of the world)

[proton-wobbler]

Plumbeous Vireo

[image ID: a gray bird with white spectacles and a white throat. there are two white wingbars. the eye is dark, and the bill and feet are dark blue. end ID]

Song:

Macaulay Library ML452640091; © Liam Wolff; Culberson, Texas, United States

Scientific Name: Vireo plumbeus

IUCN Rating: Least Concern

Habitat & Location: breeds in dry montane coniferous and mixed coniferous forests in the West; overwinters in western Mexico

Fun Fact: the drabbest of the "Solitary Vireo" complex, completely devoid of any yellow compared to their cousins

[image ID: a map of North America, focusing on the western states and Mexico. the red range, denoting breeding range, covers much of the Southwest and dips into western Mexico. the purple zone, which denotes year-round residence, runs throughout central and southern Mexico. the blue range, denoting the non-breeding zone, runs mostly along western Mexico, with a disjunct population in southern Arizona. end ID]

Image Sources: bird (Jim Merritt); map (birds of the world)