Plumbeous Vireo Identification

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The Four Keys to ID

  • Size & Shape

    A small, sturdy songbird with a fairly thick, short, and slightly hooked bill.

    Relative Size

    Larger than a Red-breasted Nuthatch, smaller than a Red-eyed Vireo.

    Relative Sizesparrow or smallersparrow-sized or smaller
    Measurements
    • Both Sexes
      • Length: 4.7-5.5 in (12-14 cm)
      • Weight: 0.4-0.7 oz (12-20 g)

Regional Differences

Ornithologists recognize at least four subspecies, but only one of these, the migratory subspecies plumbeus, occurs in the United States. The others are the larger gravis of Puebla and Veracruz, Mexico; the slightly smaller notius of Belize; and the more colorful montanus of southern Mexico south to Honduras, which looks more like a Cassin’s Vireo than other Plumbeous subspecies. The southern three subspecies are nonmigratory.

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