Vireos- ORDER: Passeriformes
- FAMILY: Vireonidae
Basic Description
Hutton’s Vireo is a small greenish songbird of the Pacific Coast that bears an uncanny resemblance to a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, even down to the off-center eyering. Over most of its range, Hutton’s Vireos live in coniferous, evergreen oak, and mixed woodlands, where they forage methodically for insects fairly high in the trees. Hutton’s Vireos are unusual among North American vireos in that they don’t migrate. Individuals in coastal regions tend to be richer green and yellow than those in arid inland regions, which are grayer.
More ID InfoFind This Bird
Hutton’s Vireos are fairly common year-round in healthy coniferous and oak forests from the Pacific coast to the mountains of southeastern Arizona. During winter, look for pairs traveling with flocks of woodland birds that include chickadees, titmice, warblers, and others. They tend to move a bit more slowly than their flockmates, but look for them inside the foliage or occasionally at the tips of branches, typically 15–20 feet high or higher.
Other Names
- Vireo de Hutton (Spanish)
- Viréo de Hutton (French)
- Cool Facts
- In the San Jacinto Mountains of southern California, Hutton’s Vireos breed near Cassin’s, Gray, and Bell’s Vireos. These vireos forage at different heights and often in different shrub and tree species, which reduces competition for food among them.
- The range of the Hutton's Vireo is broken up into distinct areas separated by wide desert. Across these areas, up to 12 subspecies have been described, varying in size and plumage.
- The oldest recorded Hutton's Vireo was at least 13 years, 6 months old when it was recaptured and rereleased during banding operations in California in 2006.