Philadelphia Vireo

Vireo philadelphicusOrder: PASSERIFORMESFamily: Vireos (Vireonidae)

Breeding Location:

Forest

Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Solitary nester

Breeding Population:

Yes but uncommon

Egg Color:

White with brown and black speckles at large end

Number of Eggs:

3 - 5

Incubation Days:

12 - 14

Egg Incubator:

Both sexes

Nest Material:

Grasses, bark, moss, lichen, and plant down., Hung by spider silk and webbing of insects.

Migration:

Migratory

Overview

Philadelphia Vireo: Medium vireo with olive-green upperparts and yellow-washed to yellow underparts. The head has a gray cap, dark eyes, and white-bordered black eye-line. Wings are olive-green with very faint wing-bars. Undertail coverts yellow. First discovered near Philadelphia in 1842.

Range and Habitat

Philadelphia Vireo: Breeds in southern Canada and northernmost U.S. Winters in the tropics. Preferred habitats include open second-growth woodlands, old clearings, burned-over areas, and thickets along streams and lakes.

Breeding and Nesting

Philadelphia Vireo: Three to five white eggs with brown and black speckles at larger end are laid in a nest made of grass, moss, lichens, and plant down, and hung by spider silk and insect webbing. Incubation ranges from 12 to 14 days and is carried out by both parents.

Foraging and Feeding

Philadelphia Vireo: Eats mostly insects, some fruits, and berries. Forages slow and deliberately in low to mid-level vegetation, often hanging upside down to pick off insects; sometimes forages while hovering.

Vocalization

Philadelphia Vireo: Song is a high, drawn-out "cherrie-o-witt, cheree, siss-a-wit, tee-o", similar to song of Red-eyed Vireo, but thinner, higher-pitched, and slower. Call is a low, nasal "rreh."

Similar Species

Philadelphia Vireo: Tennessee Warbler has a slender, pointed bill, brighter upperparts, white undertail coverts, indistinct wing-bar, and short tail. Warbling Vireo has olive-gray upperparts and head, pale lores, and lacks wing-bars.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Philadelphia Vireo

● Song: "cherrie-o-witt, cheree, sissy-a-witt,tee-o", "rreh"

● Foraging & Feeding: Philadelphia Vireo: Eats mostly insects, some fruits, and berries. Forages slow and deliberately in low to mid-level vegetation, often hanging upside down to pick off insects; sometimes forages while hovering.

● Breeding & nesting: Philadelphia Vireo: Three to five white eggs with brown and black speckles at larger end are laid in a nest made of grass, moss, lichens, and plant down, and hung by spider silk and insect webbing. Incubation ranges from 12 to 14 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Philadelphia Vireo: Tennessee Warbler has a slender, pointed bill, brighter upperparts, white undertail coverts, indistinct wing-bar, and short tail. Warbling Vireo has olive-gray upperparts and head, pale lores, and lacks wing-bars.

Flight Pattern

Relatively weak fluttering flight with rapid wing beats., Hovers briefly when foraging to pick insects off foliage, bark, or branches.

Philadelphia Vireo Fall Male Body Illustration

● Range & Habitat: Philadelphia Vireo: Breeds in southern Canada and northernmost U.S. Winters in the tropics. Preferred habitats include open second-growth woodlands, old clearings, burned-over areas, and thickets along streams and lakes.

^BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester

^PopulationYes but uncommon

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight0.4 Ounces

Field Guide to Birds of North America