The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently added a story on their website about the red-eyed vireo and mentioned, jokingly, that it is sometimes referred to as “the bird that doesn’t shut up.” The short post says the bird can sing more than 20,000 times per day and that their “incessant singing” makes up for their rather drab plumage.

I can’t dispute what the article says, as red-eyed vireos do indeed sing a lot, and I’ve heard them frequently throughout this spring and early summer. But this year, I’ve been more taken by the red-eyed vireo’s cousin, the warbling vireo.

Seemingly every walk I’ve taken this year from late April on has included a sighting of a warbling vireo. Well, maybe not always a sighting, but at least a hearing. It is usually the first bird I hear as I approach the woods. “Yup, another warbling vireo” has been a frequent refrain on my walks this year.

Warbling vireos are aptly named as their song is long and varied with plenty of ups and downs. While most of our wood warblers do not truly warble, the warbling vireo certainly does warble. (Try saying that sentence a few times quickly.)

Speaking of difficult things to say, the most commonly used mnemonic for recognizing the song of the warbling vireo is “if I sees you, I will seize you, and I’ll squeeze you till you squirt.” Seriously, that’s it. Look it up if you don’t believe me. That particular mnemonic never really worked for me in the field, but I included it in case it does for you.

In other words, the warbling vireo has a song that is, as I mentioned before, warbling. It seems that even the experts have a hard time explaining the song and agreeing on it. The Audubon Society all at once describes the song as “cheery” and “drowsy.” How can something be cheery and drowsy at the same time?

My go-to birding website AllAboutBirds.org (a site of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology) describes the song as such: “Male Warbling Vireos sing a rapid, undulating, highly variable song with a rich, burbling quality lasting about 3 seconds. The song usually concludes with an accented note pitched higher than the preceding melody.”

Similar to the red-eyed vireo, the warbling vireo is not the most exciting bird to look at – not that they are seen that often anyway. They typically hang out at the tops of trees hidden by foliage as they sing their ubiquitous song. If you do happen to spot one, you will see a grayish, olive green bird with white underneath and washed throughout with faint yellow. They have a dull white stripe above the eye and a dull white arc below the eye.

They are not big suburban birds like robins, catbirds, cardinals or blue jays, but they may be found in most wooded areas. I’ve certainly had more than my fair share of warbling vireo sightings (and hearings) during my walks this spring and summer. I rather enjoy my encounters with warbling vireos − and red-eyed vireos, for that matter. They should embrace the moniker of birds that “never shut up.”