Tag Archives: warbling vireo singing

For the Birds: Warbling vireos everywhere

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Photo by Chris Bosak A warbling vireo sings from a branch in New England, spring 2025.

It’s funny how you can still discover new things after so many years.

I’m sure that applies to most hobbies, but it certainly applies to birdwatching. I have only recently “discovered” the warbling vireo. The small, loquacious bird, of course, has been around for far longer than I have been birdwatching, but I am only recently taking notice of it.

Part of the reason I may not have paid it much mind previously is that it is a small, fairly nondescript bird that typically hangs out in the middle to upper branches among the leaves. It is not like some birds that take an obvious perch somewhat low in the trees or brush and are easily found on a birdwalk.

Over the last couple of years, however, I have come to know warbling vireos not only because the males sing constantly, but I am finding them almost everywhere I go in the spring.

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Singing in the spring: Warbling vireo

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Photo by Chris Bosak A warbling vireo sings from a branch in New England, spring 2025.

It’s not surprising to get a photo of a warbling vireo, as these birds sing constantly. A bird that is true to its name.

For the Birds: Warbling vireo lives up to its name

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Photo by Chris Bosak
A warbling vireo does what it does best: sing from a branch of a deciduous tree.

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.

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