Vireos- ORDER: Passeriformes
- FAMILY: Vireonidae
Basic Description
A bird of open deciduous forests and edges, the Yellow-throated Vireo is one of the most colorful member of its family. Not only does this bird have a bright yellow throat, it looks as if it’s wearing bright yellow spectacles. This small heavyset songbird slowly hops through the canopy picking insects off branches and twigs. Males sing a burry three eight, on repeat throughout the day. Females join the males with a harsh scolding chatter during aggressive encounters.
More ID InfoFind This Bird
On the breeding grounds, listen for what may sound like the more ubiquitous Red-eyed Vireo, but with a burrier song and look up into the canopy. Instead of focusing on the leaves in the canopy as you might for warblers, look for a chunky bird hanging out near the inner part of the tree among the bare branches. They aren't as frenetic as warblers; they tend to take long pauses before chasing after another meal and often sing while stationary giving you ample time to see them.
Other Names
- Vireo Gorjiamarillo (Spanish)
- Viréo à gorge jaune (French)
- Cool Facts
- While the Yellow-throated Vireo is associated with forest edge habitat, it actually requires large blocks of forest to breed successfully. Numbers decrease sharply in forests smaller than 250 acres (100 hectares) in the northeastern United States.
- In many North American songbirds, only females incubate and brood, but not vireos. Male Yellow-throated Vireos also incubate eggs and brood young, taking turns with the female throughout the day.