Field Guide to Birds of North America
Gray Vireo
General
Gray Vireo: Medium-sized vireo with gray upperparts, faint white spectacles, dark iris, and dull white underparts. Wings are dark gray with indistinct white bars. Sideways twitching of tail is unique among vireos and is reminiscent of gnatcatchers. Sexes are similar.
Range and Habitat
Gray Vireo: Breeds from southern California east to Utah, south to western Texas and Baja California. Spends winters south of U.S.-Mexico border. Frequents dry brush, especially juniper, in the pinyon- and juniper-covered slopes of the southwestern mountains; also found in scrub oak and other types of chaparral.
Listen to Call
Voice Text
"chu-wee, chu-wee, che-weet, chee, ch-churr-weet", "churr", "schray"
Interesting Facts
Gray Vireos wintering in western Texas feed predominantly on insects. In southwestern Arizona and adjacent Sonora, Mexico, however, wintering birds shift from a largely insectivorous summer diet to one of predominantely fruits.
Although it catches most of its insect food along the branches of trees and shrubs, it captures more insects on the ground than most vireos. It has been seen to scratch on the ground with its feet like a foraging towhee.
The sideways twitching of its tail is unique among vireos and is reminiscent of that of gnatcatchers.
A group of vireos are collectively known as a "call" of vireos.
Author
|
Family
Vireos and Allies (Vireonidae)_blue
|
Species
Vireo vicinior
|
Length5 - 5.75
Inches
|
Wingspan8.75
Inches
|
Gray Vireo
Gray Vireo: Medium-sized vireo with gray upperparts, faint white spectacles, dark iris, and dull white underparts. The wings are dark gray with indistinct white bars. The sideways twitching of the tail is unique among vireos and is similar to gnatcatchers. Forages in low undergrowth.
● Song: "chu-wee, chu-wee, che-weet, chee, ch-churr-weet", "churr", "schray"
● Foraging & Feeding: Gray Vireo: Feeds on variety of insects, which it gleans from branches, foliage, or the ground; forages in low undergrowth.
● Breeding & nesting: Gray Vireo: Three to five pink eggs with brown spots concentrated at larger end are laid in a nest made of grass, twigs, shredded bark, leaves, spider webs, and insect cocoons, lined with fine grass, and built from 2 to 6 feet above the ground in a shrub. Incubation ranges from 13 to 14 days and is carried out by both parents.
● Similar species: Gray Vireo: Plumbeous Vireo has shorter tail, not pumped or flicked, bold white spectacles, two bold wing-bars, and olive-gray wash and streaks on sides and flanks. Bell's Vireo is smaller, has two faint wing-bars, faint white spectacles, olive-brown to gray upperparts, and yellow to white underparts.
Flight Pattern
Weak somewhat fluttering direct flight on rapidly beating wings.
|
BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester
|
PopulationFairly common, Accidental in WI
|
MigrationMigratory
|
Weight0.5
Ounces
|