Western Warbling Vireo Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  Western Warbling Vireos are small, chunky songbirds with thick, straight, slightly hooked bills. They are medium-sized for vireos, with a fairly round head and medium-length bill and tail.

  Relative Size

  Slightly larger than a Black-capped Chickadee; smaller than a House Finch.

  sparrow-sized or smaller

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
  • • Length: 4.7-5.1 in (12-13 cm)
    • Weight: 0.3-0.6 oz (9.9-15.8 g)

  © Brian Sullivan / Macaulay Library

• Color Pattern

  Western Warbling Vireos are grayish above and whitish below, washed on the sides with yellow. They have a dark line through the eye and a white line over the eye. The lores (the area between the eye and bill) are whitish in most individuals. Typically, the brightest plumage on Western Warbling Vireos is on the vent or flanks. Worn midsummer birds can be nearly entirely gray above and whitish below.

• Behavior

  Western Warbling Vireos forage sluggishly, intently peering at leaf surfaces from a single perch before pouncing or moving on. They give their loud, rollicking, finchlike song frequently on summer territories.
• Habitat

  Western Warbling Vireos typically breed in deciduous or mixed deciduous-coniferous woodlands. On migration and nonbreeding grounds, they use a wide array of scrubby and wooded habitats.