Vireo bellii
The Bell's Vireo (Vireo bellii) is a small, unassuming songbird measuring approximately 11-13 cm (4.3-5.1 in) in length, with a wingspan of 17-19 cm (6.7-7.5 in) and weighing around 8-10 grams (0.28-0.35 oz). Its plumage is characterized by a dull olive-gray back, whitish underparts, and a pale, often yellowish wash on its flanks. Distinctive field marks include faint, sometimes indistinct, pale wing bars, and subtle but noticeable pale 'spectacles' formed by a broken eye-ring and pale lores,...
This vireo primarily inhabits dense, low-lying deciduous shrublands, often in riparian corridors, desert washes, and regenerating clearings, typically at low to mid-elevations.
Primarily insectivorous, consuming caterpillars, beetles, grasshoppers, cicadas, and spiders, gleaned from foliage; occasionally supplements its diet with small berries, especially during migration and winter.
Bell's Vireos are primarily diurnal, active foragers, constantly gleaning insects from the leaves and twigs of shrubs and low trees. Males are highly territorial during the breeding season, tirelessly defending their domain with their distinctive, rambling song that can be heard almost continuous...
The Bell's Vireo has a widespread but fragmented breeding range across central and western North America, extending from California and Nevada eastward through Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and parts of Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, and Arkansas. Significant ...
Least Concern
- The Bell's Vireo was named after John Graham Bell, an American taxidermist and collector, not Alexander Graham Bell. - The 'Least Bell's Vireo' (Vireo bellii pusillus) subspecies is federally endangered, highlighting critical conservation efforts. - They are one of the most heavily parasitized ...