“See me, Vireo”

George Walter

Photo by Jill Severn

Vireos are relatively common songbirds in Thurston County in the summer. There are 15 vireo species in North America, of which we have four. Only one of them is here year-round. Vireos are smallish birds, about sparrow-sized, have a pointed bill with a slight hook, and have drab coloration without any really bold markings. The sexes of vireo species look alike.

They are not often seen, both because they have nondescript plumage, but also because they tend to occupy dense brush and leafy deciduous trees. Their main food targets are crawling insects and larvae, so you don’t often see them flying around (in contrast to flycatchers and warblers, for example).  They’re hard to see; therefore, most bird watchers depend on their song to alert us to their presence.

Their songs are interesting to me because, in one way or another, most vireo songs include their name (“vireo”). Sometimes I hear a vireo calling and it to me it sounds like, “see me, here I am, vireo.” The notes are clear, not buzzy, and beautiful, but their songs are often short. It is definitely worth reviewing vireo songs on your Merlin app.

Two species are summer residents, having migrated here from southern Mexico and Central America.  The Warbling Vireo, as its name implies, has a song that might remind you of the loud burbling notes of a warbler or a finch. You will often find these birds in willows and other leafy trees, where they move about slowly, seeking out larvae that are feeding on fresh green leaves. These birds are gray above with a lighter belly. They have dark eyes and a white eyebrow stripe above the eye. They might remind you of a chickadee, but with no black feathers and a much thicker bill.

Cassin’s Vireo is a second species that is also likely to be found moving slowly through leafy trees seeking larvae and other prey. It’s about the same size as the warbling vireo, but its appearance is much different. Its back and wings are gray-green with two light wing bars and sometimes, a slightly blueish head. Instead of an eyebrow, it appears to have spectacles. You might know this bird species by its old name, Solitary Vireo. In 1997 the single species was divided into three species and our western birds were given a new name.

Another Washington vireo species is the Red-eyed Vireo. It is uncommon in our county but very common along streams in Eastern Washington. It’s a bit larger than the above species and its red eye usually is very noticeable. It has a greenish back and wings (no wing bars), a whitish belly and a bold white eyebrow stripe that contrasts with a black stripe above and through the eye. For this bird, you can definitely hear the name “vireo” in its song and in willows along streams, it seems at times to be loudly calling its presence.

Our final vireo species is quite different from the above three. It is Hutton’s Vireo and non-migratory; it’s the one that’s here all year-round. It’s smaller, a little larger than a kinglet, and it looks somewhat like a Ruby-crowned Kinglet but stockier and with a bolder bill. Its back and wings are dark olive green, with two wing bars, and its belly has a gray-greenish wash. This vireo has no eyebrow stripe but does have a broken light ring around its eyes. It’s an active bird and, in winter, it sometimes travels with mixed flocks of chickadees and kinglets.

Hutton’s Vireo vocalization (it is a song, but it’s not very song-like) is a sharp “treweet,” repeated a few times. This species is found in a wider variety of habitats than all the other vireos described. It might be in bushes, conifer trees of varying height and deciduous trees along stream corridors.

By now you might be wondering why I’m writing about vireos. After all, they aren’t in our yards and don’t come to bird feeders, and they’re rather nondescript and hard to see and identify. And that’s just the point; they are a challenge to our powers of observation – so seeing them is a treat, and so is learning to recognize their songs. When you recognize the call of a “vireo” as you pass by, you will be delighted.

Once in a while, one of the eastern species of vireos wanders into Washington. This happened earlier this spring and the bird, a Yellow-throated Vireo, was spotted and identified in Neah Bay by Liam Hutcheson, our column photographer. It is very rare, only the third state record, and made a great addition to Liam’s 2023 Big Year list.

George Walter is environmental program manager at the Nisqually Indian Tribe’s natural resources department; he also has a 40+ year interest in bird watching. He may be reached at george@theJOLTnews.com

Photos for this column are provided by Liam Hutcheson, a 16-year-old Olympia area birder and avid photographer.