Black-whiskered Vireo

Vireo altiloquusOrder: PASSERIFORMESFamily: Vireos (Vireonidae)

Breeding Location:

Bushes, shrubs, and thickets, Forest

Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Solitary nester

Breeding Population:

Fairly common to common

Egg Color:

White with brown, purple and black specks

Number of Eggs:

2 - 3

Incubation Days:

12 - 14

Egg Incubator:

Female

Nest Material:

Twigs, grass, plant fibers, spider webs, cocoons, and lichens., Lined with grass, pine needles, and hair.

Migration:

Migratory

Overview

Black-whiskered Vireo: Large vireo with olive-green upperparts and olive-buff washed white underparts. The head has gray crown, dark whiskers (moustache stripe) along sides of throat, white eyebrow with black border, and red-brown eyes. The bill is black, straight, and slightly hooked.

Range and Habitat

Black-whiskered Vireo: Breeds in southern Florida and West Indies. Spends winters in tropics. Preferred habitats include mangroves, thick scrub, and shade trees.

Breeding and Nesting

Black-whiskered Vireo: Two to three white eggs with fine brown, purple, and black specks are laid in a nest made of twigs, grass, plant fibers, spider webs, cocoons, and lichens, lined with grass, pine needles, and hair, and built from 3 to 20 feet above the ground on a thin branch of a shrub or tree. Incubation ranges from 12 to 14 days and is carried out by the female.

Foraging and Feeding

Black-whiskered Vireo: Eats a variety of insects but also takes some spiders and fruits; forages slowly and deliberately, picking food from leaves and branches.

Vocalization

Black-whiskered Vireo: Song is a humorous mnemonic of "whip-tom-KELLY", "John-to-whit", or "cheap-john-stir-up." Call is mewing "quee."

Similar Species

Black-whiskered Vireo: Red-eyed Vireo is smaller, has shorter bill, white behind eye with dark border, dark gray crown, darker back, and lacks dark moustache stripe.

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Black-whiskered Vireo

● Song: "Whip-tom-KELLY!", "John-to-whit", "cheap-john-stir-up!", "quee!"

● Foraging & Feeding: Black-whiskered Vireo: Eats a variety of insects but also takes some spiders and fruits; forages slowly and deliberately, picking food from leaves and branches.

● Breeding & nesting: Black-whiskered Vireo: Two to three white eggs with fine brown, purple, and black specks are laid in a nest made of twigs, grass, plant fibers, spider webs, cocoons, and lichens, lined with grass, pine needles, and hair, and built from 3 to 20 feet above the ground on a thin branch of a shrub or tree. Incubation ranges from 12 to 14 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Black-whiskered Vireo: Red-eyed Vireo is smaller, has shorter bill, white behind eye with dark border, dark gray crown, darker back, and lacks dark moustache stripe.

Flight Pattern

Relatively fast direct flight with shallow, rapid wing beats.

Black-whiskered Vireo Breeding Male Body Illustration

● Range & Habitat: Black-whiskered Vireo: Breeds in southern Florida and West Indies. Spends winters in tropics. Preferred habitats include mangroves, thick scrub, and shade trees.

^BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester

^PopulationFairly common to common

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight0.6 Ounces

Field Guide to Birds of North America