ID Keys: Olive upperparts, yellow-green flanks, yellow undertail,
large light-colored bill, gray cap
The
Yellow-green Vireo is only a rare visitor to the United States, where they
have most often been sighted in southern Texas. Their natural range
covers much of Mexico and Central America. They are close relatives of
the Red-eyed Vireo, a species common in the United States, and were once
considered the same species. However, they were split into two
species, and can be told apart by geographic range, as well as slight
differences in songs and plumage.
Habitat
Found in a variety of open woodlands,
including both mature forest and second-growth forest.
Diet
Feeds on insects and spiders at all seasons,
but will also sometimes eat fruits and berries, and less often seeds.
Behavior
Forages by moving among the foliage of
trees and shrubs, searching for insects. They will sometimes hover
while gleaning insects from the foliage.
Nesting
The nest of a Yellow-green Vireo is a cup
of grasses, bark fibers, other plant material, and spider webs, placed in
the fork of a small branch. The female lays 2 or 3 eggs, and she alone
incubates them. When the eggs hatch, both parents help raise and feed
the young. The young leave the nest after about 2 weeks.
Song
The song of a Yellow-green Vireo is a series
of whistled phrases.
Migration
Strongly migratory, with birds that
breed in summer in Mexico and Central America moving to South America for
the winter.
