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Plumbeous Vireo

Vireo plumbeusOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Vireos (Vireonidae)
Codes: Common Name: PLVI Scientific Name: VIRPLU ITIS Taxonomic No.: 554477
Least Concern
 
Plumbeous Vireo Breeding Male
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Birdman Mel's Backyard Tips
Jelly Jar Jelly Feeder
The orange "blossum" replaces the lid of a jelly jar.
Attract Orioles with Fruit
Sliced orange secures easily to the center of the ring. Low cost.
Attract with Nectar
Hex shaped nectar feeds several Orioles. Nectar kept in fridge.
Charm and Attraction
Lovely copper umbrella keeps fruit cool and looks great.

Overview

Plumbeous Vireo: Medium vireo, gray back, white throat and underparts, olive-gray sides, yellow-washed flanks. Crown, nape, and face are gray; eye-rings appear as large, white spectacles. Wings are dark gray with two white bars. Tail is short with white edges. Blue-gray legs and feet.

Range and Habitat

Plumbeous Vireo: Breeds from southern Montana and southern Idaho southward to Mexico and Guatemala. Spends winters in Mexico and Central America. Preferred habitats include montane coniferous and mixed forests, and riparian woodlands in arid inter-montane basins.

Topo Map: Perching-like Body


Listen to Call

Similar Sounding

Voice Text

"chureeh, ch-ireet', ch-reeh, cg-ireet", "cheh-cheh-cheh, cheh"

Interesting Facts

 The Plumbeous vireo was first described in 1866 by Elliott Coues, an American army surgeon, historian, ornithologist and author.

 It was formerly considered to belong to the same species as Cassin's Vireo and Blue-headed Vireo. At that time, they were referred to as the "Solitary Vireo".

 Despite the close relationship and shared habitat between this species and the Cassin’s Vireo, no cases of hybridization are known between the two.

 A group of vireos are collectively known as a "call" of vireos.


Bird Term Glossary



Author

Gary Owen Dick

Artist

Irina Rud-Volga

Splitbar
Range Map for Plumbeous Vireo

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Family Vireos and Allies (Vireonidae)_blue
Species Vireo plumbeus
Length5 - 6 Inches
Wingspan8.5 Inches

Plumbeous Vireo

Plumbeous Vireo: Medium vireo, gray back, white throat and underparts, olive-gray sides, yellow-washed flanks. Crown, nape, and face are gray; eye-rings appear as large, white spectacles. Wings are dark gray with two white bars. Tail is short with white edges. Blue-gray legs and feet.

● Song: "chureeh, ch-ireet', ch-reeh, cg-ireet", "cheh-cheh-cheh, cheh"

● Foraging & Feeding: Plumbeous Vireo: Eats insects and some fruits and berries; forages and perches from mid to high levels in trees, gleaning insects from foliage or bark.

● Breeding & nesting: Plumbeous Vireo: Three to five white eggs, spotted at larger end with red brown, are laid in a nest made of bark, grass, plant fibers and spider web, lined with fine grass and plant down, and built 4 to 30 feet above the ground near the tip of a branch in a tree or bush. Incubation ranges from 14 to 15 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Plumbeous Vireo: Gray Vireo is smaller, slimmer, and has a single wing-bar and faint eye-ring. Blue-headed and Cassin's vireos have green backs contrasting with darker hoods, and yellow flanks.

Flight Pattern

Somewhat weak fluttering direct flight on rapidly beating wings.
Plumbeous Vireo Breeding Male Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Plumbeous Vireo: Breeds from southern Montana and southern Idaho southward to Mexico and Guatemala. Spends winters in Mexico and Central America. Preferred habitats include montane coniferous and mixed forests, and riparian woodlands in arid inter-montane basins.
BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester
PopulationFairly common, Accidental in LA
MigrationMigratory
Weight0.5 Ounces
Perching-like BodyX
UnderpartsX
Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.
CrownX
The crown is the top part of the birds head.
FaceX
The front part of the head consisting of the bill, eyes, cheeks and chin.
NapeX
Also called the hindneck or collar, it is the back of the neck where the head joins the body.
RiparianX
Relating to or living or located on the bank of a natural watercourse (as a river) or sometimes of a lake or a tidewater. 
4 and 6 letter alpha codesX

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

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ITIS CodesX

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) was established in the mid-1990�s as a cooperative project among several federal agencies to improve and expand upon taxonomic data (known as the NODC Taxonomic Code) maintained by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

To find the ITIS page for a bird species go to the ITIS web site advanced search and report page at http://www.itis.gov/advanced_search.html. You can enter the TSN or the common name of the bird. It will return the ITIS page for that bird. Another way to obtain the ITIS page is to use the Google search engine. Enter the string ITIS followed by the taxonomic ID, for example "ITIS 178041" will return the page for the Allen's Hummingbird.

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Parts of a Standing birdX
Head Feathers and MarkingsX
Parts of a Flying birdX