Grey Vireo
Vireo vicinior
The Grey Vireo (Vireo vicinior) is a uncommon shrike-babblers, erpornis, and vireo found in 2 countries, weighing about 13 g. The gray vireo is a small North American passerine bird in the family Vireonidae, the vireos, greenlets, and shrike-babblers.
About the Grey Vireo
The gray vireo is a small North American passerine bird in the family Vireonidae, the vireos, greenlets, and shrike-babblers. It is found in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
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.
What the Grey Vireo sounds like
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: April, May, June, July, August, with peak activity in May. It is a summer visitor species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Grey Vireo?
- 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). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Grey Vireo?
- The Grey Vireo is a tiny sized bird weighing about 13 g.
- Where can you see a Grey Vireo?
- The Grey Vireo occurs in 2 countries, including the United States and Mexico.
- What does a Grey Vireo sound like?
- You can listen to 2 field recordings of the Grey Vireo on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Grey Vireo?
- The Grey Vireo is most easily confused with the Yucatan Vireo, the Black-capped Vireo and the Golden Vireo.
- Is the Grey Vireo endangered?
- The Grey Vireo is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Grey Vireo for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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