Gray Vireo

Vireo vicinior

Explore this bird

Identification

Field notes

14 cm (5-6") Uncommon. Southwestern United States. Dry bushy mountain slopes, chaparral, pinyon-juniper.

Gray upperparts. White underparts. Faint eye ring. Faint wing bars. Resembles Bell's Vireo but Bell prefers moist habitats. And like Bell it will twitch its tail like a gnatcatcher.

Song: like Solitary Vireo's - slurred musical "chu-wee chu-weet".

Details in the field

Photo gallery

1 photo

Credit: Seabamirum

Watch and learn

Videos

3 videos

California Wildlife ---- Gray Vireo

Credit: American Wildlife

Gray Vireo, Vireo vicinior

Credit: alex navarro

gray vireo

Credit: Dawn Fine

Where it lives

Distribution map

Source legend · original intervals

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Unshaded in source · does not imply absence

Bird Advisor Identification rules 1 variant 3 rules

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

Gray Vireo

3 rules

Rule 1 17 criteria confidence 1

What SIZE was the TAIL ?: Medium · Long · Unknown
What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?: None · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was on the BACK ?: Uniform · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was shown on the BREAST ?: Uniform color · 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 ?: Very short · 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 ?: Brown or blackish brown · Black or dark gray · Unknown
Was the HEAD striped ?: No · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
List any unique feeding behaviour observed ?: Feeding at flowers · Foraging by hanging upside down · Foraging rapidly · Foraging slowly and deliberately · Chasing and harassing other birds in flight
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:771-gray-vireo:1:1 Source: 771 Gray Vireo, row 1

Rule 2 5 criteria confidence 1

What TAIL BEHAVIOURS if any were noted ?: Pointing upward or cocked over its back
How BIG was the bird ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Identify from a Unique Behaviour
What type of environment was the bird seen in?: Urban or residential area or at a feeder · Open area: field, prairie, meadow, farmland, tundra · Thickets or shrubs · Deciduous forest · Coniferous forest · Mixed forest · Wooded freshwater habitat · Freshwater marsh or wetland · Freshwater shoreline · Open body of freshwater · Saltwater marsh or wetland · Flat saltwater shore; beach · Rocky saltwater shore; cliff
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southwestern United States

result:771-gray-vireo:2:1 Source: 771 Gray Vireo, row 2

Rule 3 6 criteria confidence 1

Was the bird seen best or only on the ground ?: No
What TAIL BEHAVIOURS if any were noted ?: Bobbing · Flicking · Pointing downward
How BIG was the bird ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Identify from a Unique Behaviour
What type of environment was the bird seen in?: Urban or residential area or at a feeder · Open area: field, prairie, meadow, farmland, tundra · Thickets or shrubs · Deciduous forest · Coniferous forest · Mixed forest · Wooded freshwater habitat
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southwestern United States

result:771-gray-vireo:3:1 Source: 771 Gray Vireo, row 3