At nest.
Credit: Michael Speegle

North American field guide

Black-capped Vireo

Vireo atricapillus

Explore this bird

Identification

Field notes

11 cm (4-5") Locally common. Central Texas, Oklahoma, southwestern Kansas. Cedar-oak, rocky canyons.

Tiny vireo. Olive back. White beneath. Yellow sides. Red eye. Male has jet-black head with white spectacles and is told from similar Solitary Vireo by its smaller size.

Song: harsh and varied twittering, two or three phrases like White-eyed Vireo's.

Watch and learn

Videos

2 videos
Bird Advisor Identification rules 1 variant 1 rule

These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.

Black-Capped Vireo

1 rule
Rule 1 13 criteria confidence 4
What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?
None · Unknown
What colour was the SIDE ?
Yellow · Olive (yellowish-green) · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?
Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Hooked · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?
Short · Medium · Unknown
What FACIAL or HEAD features were noted if any ?
Light area over, below, behind or around the eye · Unknown
What colour were the EYES ?
Red, orange or rusty · Brown or blackish brown · Black or dark gray · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?
Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?
Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?
Warbler-like · Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHEN was the bird seen ?
Spring · Summer · Fall
WHERE was the bird seen ?
Southwestern United States
result:767-black-capped-vireo:1:1 Source: 767 Black-Capped Vireo, row 1