Gray Vireo Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesGray Vireo
Adult
Small, stocky songbird with a round head. Plain gray overall with a paler belly. Note thin white eyering and small white line in front of the eye.
© Ian Davies / Macaulay LibraryBaja California Sur, January 03, 2021Adult
Round-headed, drab gray vireo with a thin white eyering. Often flicks its tail side to side and is more active than other vireos.
© Mike Andersen / Macaulay LibraryNew Mexico, May 07, 2017Adult
Song is a halting series of 2- and 3-note phrases with a burry quality.
© Gregory Griffith / Macaulay LibraryColorado, July 01, 1994Not all videos have sound
Juvenile
Juveniles are washed brown with a more distinct wingbar than adults. Note white eyering.
© Mark Chavez / Macaulay LibraryColorado, July 24, 2016Similar SpeciesPlumbeous Vireo
Adult
Plumbeous Vireo has a bolder eyering than Gray Vireo, and it connects to the bill, forming "spectacles." Plumbeous tends to occur in mountain forests, while Gray lives in desert scrub and pinyon-juniper woodland.
© William Higgins / Macaulay LibraryArizona, January 17, 2017Similar SpeciesBell's Vireo
Adult (Arizona)
Bell's Vireo has a smaller bill than Gray Vireo. It also has a partial eyering with a faint dark line through the eye, instead of Gray Vireo's complete eyering.
© Jim Hully / Macaulay LibraryArizona, April 26, 2016Similar SpeciesGray Flycatcher
Adult/immature
Gray Flycatcher has a more upright posture and a straight flat bill, unlike Gray Vireo's heavy, hooked bill. Gray Flycatcher sits on exposed perches and catches insects in the air rather than picking them from foliage.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, January 25, 2008Rotate Your Device to Better Compare
Species in This Family
Vireos, Shrike-Babblers, and Erpornis(Order: Passeriformes, Family: Vireonidae)
Don't miss a thing! Join our email list
The Cornell Lab will send you updates about birds,
birding, and opportunities to help bird conservation.