Blue-headed Vireo
By Charlie • February 11, 2007 • No comments yetBlue-headed Vireo Vireo solitarius
Crandon Park, Key Biscayne, Miami. 11 February 2007
The Blue-headed Vireo is the easterly member of the “Solitary Vireo” complex, which also includes the westerly Plumbeous and Cassin’s Vireos. Originally recognised as a separate species the Blue-headed was ‘lumped’ in the 1950s as Solitary Vireo but in 1997 it was split again when molecular genetic studies demonstrated differences among the complex.
The only eastern vireo to make extensive use of coniferous forests Blue-headed Vireos breed across Canada and the northern U.S., and south through the Appalachian Mountains from southern Pennsylvania to northern Georgia. Appalachian breeders (V. s. alticola) are slightly larger, with darker backs and little contrast between back and head, compared with northern birds (V. s. solitarius). The larger southern birds move only short distances to wintering areas from southeastern Virginia across Gulf Coast states to Texas. Solitarius overwinter in eastern and southern Mexico and northern Central America where they are characteristically mid-elevation birds, fond of oaks and pines and found most often in the company of other small birds in mixed species flocks.
For an excellent article on the species go to Bootstrap Analysis: olive birds with gray heads, part 1.
All photos copyright Charlie Moores
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