| The Red-eyed Vireo is olive above and whitish below. The bright red eye has a bold white eyebrow which is bordered above and below by a thin-black stripe. The crown is gray and eyes of immature birds are brown. The bird can be located with a fair amount of ease because of the male's constant singing. However, it is still difficult to see as it tends to stay at the tops of broad leaf trees and blends in well. Once found, the female which does not sing can be located by following the male.
The habitat consists of deciduous forests and shade trees of the residential areas throughout most of southern Canada and the eastern United States. The bird winters in the Amazon basin. The male arrives north first and and begins singing to proclaim a territory of six or more acres. The territory will be defended with with circular chases, perch-taking and intermittent singing. As more and more males arrive north the area gradually decreases to a one or two acre tract. The females arrive a few days later and will pair with the males that have successfully established their territory. Once this occurs the area will be more aggressively defended.
During courtship the male will vigorously chase the female. The difference between this and the earlier territorial spats between males is that the female will not sing and will remain in the territory. Other courtship displays may include tail fanning, head swaying, and singing.
A clutch consists of 3 to 4 white eggs, with brown spots that are laid in a thin walled nest that is hung from the fork of a twig like the one shown in the picture. The nest is made of bark, plant fibers, spider silk, and lichens. The nesting site is selected and then built by the female who also incubates the eggs for 11 to 14 days. During the incubation the male will sing and forage among the tree tops for insects. Fruits and berries will also be consumed. When the male stops singing you will notice that the female will become agitated and stir from the nest to find the male. She then will feed on her own or will be fed by the male. Once the young have hatched the male will change his behavior and approach the nest more often and help feed the young. After young leave the nest 10 to 12 days later, the territory is no longer defended. Given the nesting sites that the Red-eyed Vireo prefers it is one of the most frequent hosts for the Brown-headed Cowbird. Even so the habitat is so favorable it is one of the most abundant birds in the eastern part of the United States.
Length: 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 inches.
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