Gray Vireo

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ID Info

Adult
Adult
Adult

Gray Vireo by Moe Bertrand | Macaulay Library

Vireos

Gray Vireo

Vireo vicinior

ORDER: Passeriformes
FAMILY: Vireonidae

HabitatScrub
FoodInsects
NestingShrub
BehaviorFoliage Gleaner
ConservationRestricted Range

Basic Description

A small, drab bird of desert scrub, the Gray Vireo shows only faint traces of the typical vireo spectacles and wingbars. Its dull gray plumage, however, fits in well with other dull gray birds that share its habitat, including gnatcatchers, Bushtit, Juniper Titmouse, and Lucy's Warbler.

More ID Info

Range map provided by Birds of North AmericaExplore Maps

Other Names

Vireo Gris (Spanish)
Viréo gris (French)

Cool Facts
- Gray Vireos wintering in western Texas feed predominantly on insects. In southwestern Arizona and adjacent Sonora, Mexico, however, wintering birds shift from a largely insectivorous summer diet to one of predominantely fruits.
- Although the Gray Vireo catches most of its insect food along the branches of trees and shrubs, it captures more insects on the ground than most vireos. It has been seen to scratch on the ground with its feet like a foraging towhee.