Vireo bairdi
The Cozumel Vireo (Vireo bairdi) is a charming and unique passerine, strictly endemic to Mexico's Cozumel Island. This small songbird measures approximately 11.5–12.5 cm (4.5–4.9 in) in length and weighs a mere 9-11 grams. Its subtle plumage features yellowish-olive upperparts that transition to pale yellow underparts, washing out to whitish on the belly. Distinctive field marks include a bold, broken white eye-ring, giving it a spectacled appearance, and two noticeable yellowish-white wing b...
Found primarily in subtropical or tropical dry and moist lowland forests, forest edges, and secondary growth on Cozumel Island. It also adapts to scrubland, gardens, and plantations, from sea level to the island's highest points.
Primarily insectivorous, feeding on caterpillars, beetles, spiders, and other small arthropods gleaned from vegetation. It occasionally supplements its diet with small fruits.
The Cozumel Vireo is a diurnal and highly active insectivore, constantly gleaning insects from the foliage of trees and shrubs within its forested habitat. Males are fiercely territorial during the breeding season, vigorously defending their home range with persistent singing from prominent perch...
The Cozumel Vireo is a strict island endemic, with its entire global population residing exclusively on Cozumel Island, located off the eastern coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in Quintana Roo, Mexico. As a non-migratory resident species, it spends its entire life cycle within the island's boundari...
Near Threatened
- The Cozumel Vireo is one of the world's most geographically restricted bird species, found exclusively on Mexico's Cozumel Island. - Despite its small size, it is a remarkably resilient bird, having adapted to survive frequent Caribbean hurricanes that impact its island home. - It was first des...