Vireo atricapillus ORDER: PASSERIFORMES FAMILY: VIREONIDAE
IUCN Conservation Status: Vulnerable
© Brian E. Small
The smallest vireo that occurs regularly in the United States, the Black-capped Vireo inhabits low scrublands of Oklahoma, Texas, and northern Mexico. Habitat changes and nest parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirds have caused Black-capped Vireo populations to vanish across much of the northern part of its historic range and it now is listed as Endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Song musical and emphatic, usually phrases of two to four notes, interspersed with pauses lasting one to three seconds. Several calls, including a scolding "zhrrree."