White-eyed Vireo

Vireo griseus

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Identification

Field notes

13 cm (5") Fairly common in eastern United States; rare north - e.g. in Southern Ontario. Wood edges, brush, dense swampy thickets, hedgerows.

Grayish-olive above; white below with pale yellow sides; two light wing bars. Yellow spectacles surround eyes; adults eyes are white whereas immature's are dark.

Easier to hear than see. Song is distinctive.

Song: loud repeated scolding in 5-7 note phrases such as "quick give me the rain check".

Details in the field

Photo gallery

1 photo

Credit: Larry Bond

Watch and learn

Videos

2 videos

White eyed Vireo

Credit: Larry Bond

White-eyed Vireo Portrait

Credit: Lang Elliott's Nature Channel

Where it lives

Distribution maps

Source legend · original intervals

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Unshaded in source · does not imply absence

Generic and winter maps may use different intervals.

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.

White-Eyed Vireo

3 rules

Rule 1 14 criteria confidence 1

Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?: Yes · Unknown
What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?: None · Unknown
What colour was the SIDE ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · 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 colour were the EYES ?: White or light gray · Yellow or olive · Brown or blackish brown · Black or dark gray · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Gray, or blue-gray · 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 ?: Northeastern Canada or United States · Southwestern United States

result:769-white-eyed-vireo:1:1 Source: 769 White-Eyed Vireo, row 1

Rule 2 14 criteria confidence 5

Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?: Yes · Unknown
What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?: None · Unknown
What colour was the SIDE ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · 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 colour were the EYES ?: White or light gray · Yellow or olive · Brown or blackish brown · Black or dark gray · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Gray, or blue-gray · 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 ?: Southeastern United States

result:769-white-eyed-vireo:2:1 Source: 769 White-Eyed Vireo, row 2

Rule 3 14 criteria confidence 1

Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?: Yes · Unknown
What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?: None · Unknown
What colour was the SIDE ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · 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 colour were the EYES ?: White or light gray · Yellow or olive · Brown or blackish brown · Black or dark gray · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Gray, or blue-gray · 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 ?: Winter
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southeastern United States · Southwestern United States

result:769-white-eyed-vireo:3:1 Source: 769 White-Eyed Vireo, row 3