The black-whiskered vireo (Vireo altiloquus) is a small passerine bird, which breeds in southern Florida, USA, and the West Indies as far south as the offshore islands of Venezuela. It is a partial migrant, with northern birds wintering from the Greater Antilles to northern South America. This species has occurred as a rare vagrant to Costa Rica.
Habitat
The breeding habitat is open deciduous wooded areas and cultivation, and in Florida also mangroves. The black-whiskered vireo builds a cup nest in a fork of a tree branch, and lays 2-3 white eggs.
Description
This vireo is 14–15 cm in length, has a 25 cm wingspan and weighs 17–19 g. It has thick blue-grey legs and a stout bill.
The adult black-whiskered vireo has dull olive-green upperparts and white underparts, with yellowish on the flanks and under the tail. It has red eyes and a grey-brown crown with faint dusky edges. There is a dark line through the eyes and a white eyebrow stripe. There is a distinctive black line (the "whisker") on the neck sides. Juvenile birds are similar, but have brown-red eyes.
This species is similar to red-eyed vireo, but is duller and browner above, and is best distinguished by the black whisker mark. The song is a three-syllable whip, Tom Kelly, more abrupt than that of red-eyed vireo.
The Florida race V. a. barbatulus is shorter-billed by 15% than the northern Caribbean subspecies V. a. bonairensis. The latter form has occurred in the US as a vagrant to Florida and Louisiana.
Diet and behavior
The black-whiskered vireo gleans insects from tree foliage, sometimes hovering while foraging. It will also eat small quantities of berries
This bird suffers from nest parasitism by the brown-headed cowbird in its US range, and shiny cowbird further south.
References
- ^ BirdLife International (2017). "Vireo altiloquus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T22705254A118697301. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T22705254A118697301.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- Hilty, Steven L (2003). Birds of Venezuela. London: Christopher Helm. ISBN 0-7136-6418-5.
- ffrench, Richard (1991). A Guide to the Birds of Trinidad and Tobago (2nd ed.). Comstock Publishing. ISBN 0-8014-9792-2.
- A guide to the birds of Costa Rica by Stiles and Skutch ISBN 0-8014-9600-4
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- File:Bird lore (1909) (14569165877).jpg (category Vireo altiloquus (illustrations))1854 2342 Vireo olivaceus - red-eyed vireo 215 1623 1316 709 1854 2342 Vireo altiloquus - black-whiskered vireo English object has role: photographer...(1,854 × 2,342 (586 KB)) - 11:02, 9 May 2024
- DescriptionVireo altiloquus map.svg English: Range map of Black-whiskered Vireo (Vireo altiloquus) Breeding Migration Non-Breeding Year-round...(1,367 × 856 (105 KB)) - 20:27, 13 November 2022
- File:Bi - United States. Bureau of Biological Survey (IA CAT11088674099).pdf (matches file content)nitens.) 623, Black-whiskered Vireo. (Vireosvlva call dri a barbatula. ) 630, Black-capped Vireo, (Vireo atricani llua.) 633, Bell Vireo, (Vireo belli belli...(1,156 × 1,547 (498 KB)) - 08:05, 18 November 2023
- File:Proceedings of the United States National Museum (IA proceedingsofuni811933unit).pdf (matches file content)Jamaican vireo Black-whiskered vireo Hispaniolan honey-creeper Black and white warbler Black-throated green warbler Northern prairie warbler Black-poll warbler...(1,037 × 1,733 (45.88 MB)) - 18:50, 17 February 2023
- File:Birds protected by federal law (IA birdsprotectedby469usfi).pdf (matches file content)Vireo, Bell's Vireo beUii (633) Black-whiskered Vireo altiloquus (623) Black-capped Vireo atricapilla (630) Gray Vireo vicinior (634) Hutton's Vireo huttoni...(1,164 × 1,516 (397 KB)) - 13:57, 26 April 2024
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