Bell's Vireo

The Bell's vireo (Vireo bellii), named by the esteemed Audubon for his companion John Graham Bell, is a modestly adorned songbird. It presents a dull olive-gray plumage on its upper parts, contrasting with a whitish underside. A faint white eye ring and subtle wing bars add to its understated elegance.

Identification Tips

When attempting to identify the Bell's vireo, look for its length of 4.5-4.9 inches qnd a wingspan stretching 6.7-7.5 inches. Its subdued coloration and the presence of a faint eye ring are key visual cues.

Habitat

The Bell's vireo favors dense shrubbery for nesting, with a preference for willows, mulefat, California wild rose, mugwort, Fremont cottonwood, and Western poison oak.

Distribution

This migratory bird breeds in Western North America and winters in Central America. The least Bell's vireo, a subspecies, is found in Southern California and is considered endangered.

Behaviour

Bell's vireos are known to defend their well-camouflaged nests with vigor against intruders. They are also victims of brood parasitism by brown-headed cowbirds, which lay their eggs in vireo nests.

Conservation status

The Bell's vireo is currently listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. However, the least Bell's vireo subspecies has been endangered due to loss of riparian habitat, influencing land development projects to protect its environment. It has shown a remarkable recovery since its listing as endangered in 1986, with populations increasing and expanding into historic ranges.