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Bird name:

Gray Vireo

Vireo viciniorOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Vireos (Vireonidae)
Codes: Common Name: GRVI Scientific Name: VIRVIC ITIS Taxonomic No.: 179008
Least Concern
 
Gray 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

Gray Vireo: Medium-sized vireo with gray upperparts, faint white spectacles, dark iris, and dull white underparts. The wings are dark gray with indistinct white bars. The sideways twitching of the tail is unique among vireos and is similar to gnatcatchers. Forages in low undergrowth.

Range and Habitat

Gray Vireo: Breeds from southern California east to Utah, south to western Texas and Baja California. Spends winters south of U.S.-Mexico border. Frequents dry brush, especially juniper, in the pinyon- and juniper-covered slopes of the southwestern mountains; also found in scrub oak and other types of chaparral.

Topo Map: Perching-like Body


Listen to Call

Voice Text

"chu-wee, chu-wee, che-weet, chee, ch-churr-weet", "churr", "schray"

Interesting Facts

 Gray Vireos wintering in western Texas feed predominantly on insects. In southwestern Arizona and adjacent Sonora, Mexico, however, wintering birds shift from a largely insectivorous summer diet to one of predominantely fruits.

 Although it catches most of its insect food along the branches of trees and shrubs, it captures more insects on the ground than most vireos. It has been seen to scratch on the ground with its feet like a foraging towhee.

 The sideways twitching of its tail is unique among vireos and is reminiscent of that of gnatcatchers.

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


Bird Term Glossary



Author

Gary Owen Dick

Artist

Samira Belous

Splitbar
Range Map for Gray Vireo

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Family Vireos and Allies (Vireonidae)_blue
Species Vireo vicinior
Length5 - 5.75 Inches
Wingspan8.75 Inches

Gray Vireo

Gray Vireo: Medium-sized vireo with gray upperparts, faint white spectacles, dark iris, and dull white underparts. The wings are dark gray with indistinct white bars. The sideways twitching of the tail is unique among vireos and is similar to gnatcatchers. Forages in low undergrowth.

● Song: "chu-wee, chu-wee, che-weet, chee, ch-churr-weet", "churr", "schray"

● Foraging & Feeding: Gray Vireo: Feeds on variety of insects, which it gleans from branches, foliage, or the ground; forages in low undergrowth.

● Breeding & nesting: Gray Vireo: Three to five pink eggs with brown spots concentrated at larger end are laid in a nest made of grass, twigs, shredded bark, leaves, spider webs, and insect cocoons, lined with fine grass, and built from 2 to 6 feet above the ground in a shrub. Incubation ranges from 13 to 14 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Gray Vireo: Plumbeous Vireo has shorter tail, not pumped or flicked, bold white spectacles, two bold wing-bars, and olive-gray wash and streaks on sides and flanks. Bell's Vireo is smaller, has two faint wing-bars, faint white spectacles, olive-brown to gray upperparts, and yellow to white underparts.

Flight Pattern

Weak somewhat fluttering direct flight on rapidly beating wings.
Gray Vireo Breeding Male Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Gray Vireo: Breeds from southern California east to Utah, south to western Texas and Baja California. Spends winters south of U.S.-Mexico border. Frequents dry brush, especially juniper, in the pinyon- and juniper-covered slopes of the southwestern mountains; also found in scrub oak and other types of chaparral.
BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester
PopulationFairly common, Accidental in WI
MigrationMigratory
Weight0.5 Ounces
Perching-like BodyX
UnderpartsX
Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.
UpperpartsX
Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.
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