{"id":1532,"date":"2019-10-20T12:00:19","date_gmt":"2019-10-20T12:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress.viu.ca\/biol325\/?p=1532"},"modified":"2019-12-11T01:15:08","modified_gmt":"2019-12-11T01:15:08","slug":"warbling-vireo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.viu.ca\/biol325\/2019\/10\/20\/warbling-vireo\/","title":{"rendered":"All\u2019s fair in love and Warbling Vireos (Vireo gilvus)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Figure 1: Sam hanging out with a beautiful Warbling Vireo (Western) caught during bird banding operations at Buttertubs Marsh, Nanaimo, BC. 2019. Photo: Samuelle Simard-Proven\u00e7al.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Introduction to the Warbling Vireo<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Description and Identification<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus<\/em>) is a member of the Order Passeriformes and Family Vireonidae, of which there are about 15 species in North America (Audubon<\/a>). Like the plumage in most vireos, the Warbling Vireo is mostly drab with subtle or indistinct markings. Specifically, the Warbling Vireo is described as having a greyish-olive head and back, washed yellow along the flanks, with plain, pale lores (the area just between the eye and the bill of birds) creating a \u201cblank-face\u201d look (Sibley, 2000<\/a>). What this description lacks is that it does not describe how beautiful and effortlessly elegant this species is. Their plumage, colours fading into one another so smoothly, looks as though an artist just finished a watercolour masterpiece. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make things even more interesting, there are also regional differences in Western and Eastern subspecies of Warbling Vireos that can make challenging identifications even more difficult. Overall, the Warbling Vireo is a medium-small, somewhat chunky passerine (perching birds) with a thick, straight, and slightly hooked bill (Cornell University: All About Birds<\/a>). As seen in Figure 2, different species of vireos can have very similar appearances with subtle identifying field marks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Figure 2: A comparison of four common vireo species found in North America. A) Red-eyed Vireo, B) Philadelphia Vireo, C) Blue-headed Vireo, D) Warbling Vireo (Western). Notice how the Philadelphia Vireo looks strikingly similar to the Warbling Vireo! A helpful distinguishing feature is their song, and if you are lucky enough to get a close look, you can see the darker lores and the more yellow throat of the Philadelphia Vireo. Birds were captured during bird banding operations in Fort McMurray, AB, and in Nanaimo, BC. 2019. Photos: Samuelle Simard-Proven\u00e7al.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While the outward physical appearance of Warbling Vireos may be considered drab, their songs are anything but. One of the most melodious and ever-present songs we can hear all summer in North America belongs to this wonderful bird. Aptly named, the Warbling Vireo\u2019s song is a rapid run-on warble, and was poetically described by ornithologist William Dawson as so: \u201cFresh as apples and as sweet as apple blossoms comes that dear, homely song from the willows.\u201d (Cornell University: All About Birds<\/a>). Again, just like their physical appearance, Western and Eastern subspecies of Warbling Vireos show a difference in songs and calls significant enough for hobby bird watchers to distinguish. On top of all this, because these guys love to give us a challenge, different populations within each subspecies may also present slight and subtle difference in song and call (Sibley, 2000<\/a>). This observation may be due, in part, to the idea that song is learnt rather than ingrained in Warbling Vireos. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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