Blue-headed Vireo    Vireo solitarius

Migratory Status: Short-distance migrant

PIF Population Estimate: 7 000 000

Percent of western hemisphere population breeding in boreal forest: 55%

BAM Effective Detection Radius (m) : 67.5

PIF Maximum Detection Distance (m) : 125

Canadian BBS Population trend: 5.0 (3.2 to 6.8)

Life History

The Blue-headed Vireo is a poorly studied boreal breeding bird, found primarily in extensive areas of mature conifer forests. This species typically select forests with a closed canopy and a shrubby understorey, away from human habitation or disturbance. A large portion of the breeding range is in the boreal forest, extending from east of the Rocky Mountains to Newfoundland. In the east, this species ranges southward into more deciduous-dominated forests, from the Great Lakes along the Appalachian Mountains into northern Georgia. It is the only North American Vireo species that uses coniferous habitats extensively during the breeding season. Outside of the breeding season, Blue-headed Vireos migrate to sub-tropical and tropical areas, using a variety of forested habitats during winter. The winter range follows a narrow band along the east coast of the United States, from Virginia south into Florida, around the Gulf of Mexico, and on into Central America.

Once identified as a subspecies of the Solitary Vireo complex, which also consisted of the Plumbeous (V. plumbeus) and Cassin’s Vireos (V. cassinii), the Blue-headed Vireo is now divided into two subspecies based on differences in plumage and size. V. s. solitarius breeds mainly across Canada, while V. s. alticola breeds in the Appalachian Mountains. Male Blue-headed Vireos in breeding plumage are olive-green above, grading into a distinct blue-gray on the nape and crown and ear-coverts. Yellowish wing-bars, bold white eye-rings, black tail feathers edged with yellow, and paler underparts tinged yellowish on the flanks help distinguish this bird from the Plumbeous and Cassin’s Vireos.

The song of the Blue-headed Vireo consists of phrases of pure notes that end on an up-slurred or down-slurred note. The exception is populations from parts of Alberta and British Columbia that sing buzzier songs, which more closely resemble those sung by Plumbeous and Cassin’s Vireos. Males have a repertoire of 15 different phrases, on average, from which they create their songs. When unpaired, they sing loudly from perches high in the canopy.

The Blue-headed Vireo tends to search for food in the mid-canopy layer, foraging for medium to large sized invertebrates on branches and leaves of any tree species. It will also catch flying insects, sallying out from branches to capture prey while in flight. In the winter, fleshy fruits may be added to the diet.

Reference(s)

James, R. D. 1998. Blue-headed Vireo (Vireo solitarius), The Birds of North America Online, . A. Poole, Ed. Ithaca: Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology; Retrieved from The Birds of North America Online database: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/379