Bird Guide

Golden Vireo vs Grey Vireo

Golden Vireo (Vireo hypochryseus)

Golden Vireo

Vireo hypochryseus

Tiny12 gShrubland

The golden vireo is about 12 to 13 cm (4.7 to 5.1 in) long and weighs an average of 12.2 g (0.43 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults have a wide lemon yellow supercilium and streak above the lores with a dark streak through the eye. Their upperparts and tail are yellowish olive-green. Their flight feathers are dark brownish gray with pale yellowish olive edges; by the outer primaries the edges have lightened to pale gray or grayish white. Their underparts are lemon yellow with a pale olive green tinge on the flanks. Voice: The golden vireo's song is "a rapid series of bright notes, the last usually sharply inflected upwards, whee-whee-whee-wheet or jujujujujeet, at times preceded and followed by a sharp chip, tsik, deeu-deeu-deeu-deeu-deeu-deeu tik".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: datadan · CC BY 4.0
Grey Vireo (Vireo vicinior)

Grey Vireo

Vireo vicinior

Tiny13 gForest

The gray vireo is about 13 to 15 cm (5.1 to 5.9 in) long and weighs 11.5 to 13.5 g (0.41 to 0.48 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults have a mostly gray crown and face with white lores and a thin white eye-ring. Their upperparts are gray that gains a greenish cast late in the year. Their wings are mostly dark gray to blackish with white tips on the greater coverts that form a wing bar. Their tail is gray with white edges on the outer webs of the outer feathers. Their chin, throat, and upper breast are a paler gray than their upperparts; their belly and undertail coverts are white. Voice: Male gray vireos sing a "che wi, chee wi, choo or che weet, chee, che chra weet", with much variation by and among individuals. They also sing a longer song of up to nine syllables. Both sexes make a slightly descending trill, a "buzzy eh-eh-eh-eh-eh scolding call, a "chickadee-like zu-zu-zu-zu" and other calls. Birds sing year-round but at a higher rate during the breeding season.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Grey Vireo
Recorded by Scott Gravette · Song · Kickapoo Cavern State Park, Texas, United States · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: tcantrell52 · CC BY 4.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Golden Vireo and Grey Vireo.