In a few short months, the woods will be filled with the color and song of newly-arrived migrants: warblers, gnatcatchers, tanagers, and vireos, among others. The Yellow-throated Vireo is one of our earliest migrants, and Red-eyed and White-eyed Vireos are some of the most numerous spring and summer forest birds, but even in the late days of winter there is a species of vireo living secretively in woods of the Southeast: the Blue-headed Vireo.
Blue-headed Vireos are hardy winter residents in the
southern states. They can be found in both upland and lowland
habitats, in mixed or coniferous forests, where they feed on insects gleaned
from bark, and also a few small fruits. Like most vireos, they have
a loud, scolding call, and their song is a series of short, whistled
phrases. Although they are usually silent in the winter, on warm
days they can sometimes be heard singing.
The Blue-headed Vireo was originally grouped with two other
species, the Plumbeous and Cassin’s Vireos—both of which occur in western North
America—as one species, the Solitary Vireo. It may be not be used
anymore, but this name is still descriptive; outside of the breeding season,
Blue-headed Vireos are rarely seen with other members of their species,
preferring instead to forage with chickadees, titmice, warblers, and
kinglets. In fact, one of the best ways to locate one is to search
through these flocks of small, jittery songbirds, until the slower, more
deliberate movements of this reclusive bird catch your eye.
Once you find a Blue-headed Vireo, take the time to
appreciate the colors of its plumage. The namesake bluish-gray head
contrasts with the bold white “spectacle” marks around the bird’s
eyes. The back is bright olive, and the wings have prominent
yellowish wing bars. The underparts are white, with yellow
flanks. The heavy, slightly hooked bill is very different from the
thin, almost straight bills of the warblers and kinglets that the vireo feeds
with.
This songbird arrives for the winter in October and departs for more northerly regions in mid-April. Be sure to get out into the field to spot the colorful Blue-headed Vireo and other wintering songbirds this January!
