Bell's Vireo Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  A diminutive songbird with a slim build and a slender, somewhat long tail. Its bill is small for a vireo, but still thicker and more hooked than a warbler’s.

  Relative Size

  Larger than a kinglet, smaller than a Red-eyed Vireo.

  sparrow-sized or smaller

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
  • • Length: 4.5-4.9 in (11.5-12.5 cm)
    • Weight: 0.3-0.3 oz (7.4-9.8 g)
    • Wingspan: 6.7-7.5 in (17-19 cm)

  © Jim Hully / Macaulay Library

• Color Pattern

  Western birds, especially the tiny Least Bell’s Vireo, are grayish above, whitish below, with faint pale “spectacles” around the eyes and pale wingbars. Eastern birds have greenish tones above and a yellow wash on the sides, with stronger wingbars.

• Behavior

  Bell’s Vireos tend to stay hidden in dense vegetation as they forage, but they often emerge at the edges of bushes. Singing birds can be brazen as they proclaim their territories from bush tops and outer branches. When in motion, they characteristically flick the tail around in many different directions.
• Habitat

  For breeding, migrating, and wintering, Bell’s Vireos select low, dense vegetation of many types.