Blue-headed Vireo

The Blue-headed Vireo is one of the most attractively marked vireos, with a blue-gray head that contrasts sharply against a white throat, bold white "spectacles" formed by a broken eye-ring and lores, an olive-green back, and white underparts washed with pale yellow on the flanks. Two white wing bars complete the look.

Formerly lumped with Cassin's and Plumbeous Vireos as the "Solitary Vireo," it was split into three species based on differences in plumage, voice, and range. Blue-headed Vireo breeds farther east and north than its two western relatives.

Key field marks

• Blue-gray head sharply contrasting with a clean white throat
• Bold white spectacles
• Olive-green back, two white wing bars
• Pale yellow flanks

Similar species

• Cassin's Vireo: duller, grayer-green head with less contrast against the throat; western range.
• Plumbeous Vireo: overall gray, lacking olive tones; western/interior range.
• Red-eyed Vireo: lacks spectacles, has a bold white eyebrow instead and a plainer face.

Range and habitat

Blue-headed Vireo breeds in mixed and coniferous forests across eastern Canada, New England, the Appalachians, and the upper Midwest, typically favoring stands with a hemlock, pine, or spruce component.

Migration

Migrates to the southeastern United States, Mexico, and Central America for winter; it is often the earliest vireo to arrive in spring and one of the last to depart in fall.

Behavior

Forages deliberately through the mid-canopy, gleaning insects from foliage and occasionally hover-gleaning; noticeably slower and more methodical than warblers foraging nearby.

Voice

A slow, sweet, warbled series of short phrases, similar in structure to Red-eyed Vireo's song but slower-paced and sweeter in tone.

Feeding

Insects and caterpillars gleaned from foliage during the breeding season; berries and small fruit become more important in fall and winter.

Nesting and breeding

Builds a hanging cup nest in a fork of a branch, often in a conifer. The female incubates 3-5 eggs for about 2 weeks, with both parents caring for the young.