Black-whiskered vireo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Black-whiskered vireo |
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Vireo
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| Species: |
altiloquus
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The black-whiskered vireo (Vireo altiloquus) is a small songbird. It lives and raises its young in places like southern Florida in the USA, and across the West Indies. You can find them as far south as the islands off the coast of Venezuela.
These birds are partial migrants. This means some of them travel south for winter. Birds from the northern areas fly to the Greater Antilles and northern South America. Sometimes, a black-whiskered vireo might even fly off course and be seen in Costa Rica!
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Where Black-Whiskered Vireos Live
These birds like to live in open forests. They prefer areas with trees that lose their leaves in the fall. You can also find them in places where people grow crops. In Florida, they especially love mangrove forests.
A black-whiskered vireo builds a cup-shaped nest. They usually place it in the fork of a tree branch. The female bird then lays 2 or 3 white eggs.
What Black-Whiskered Vireos Look Like
This type of vireo is about 14 to 15 centimeters (5.5 to 6 inches) long. Their wings can spread out to about 25 centimeters (10 inches). They weigh around 17 to 19 grams, which is about as much as a few quarters.
Adult black-whiskered vireos have dull olive-green feathers on their backs and wings. Their bellies are white. They have a yellowish color on their sides and under their tail. Their eyes are red. The top of their head is grey-brown with some faint darker edges.
A dark line goes through their eyes, and they have a white stripe above their eyes. The most special mark is a clear black line on the sides of their neck. This line looks like a "whisker"! Young birds look similar, but their eyes are brown-red.
This bird looks a bit like the red-eyed vireo. However, the black-whiskered vireo is not as bright and is browner on top. The best way to tell them apart is by that black whisker mark. Their song is also different. It sounds like a three-syllable whip, Tom Kelly. It's quicker than the red-eyed vireo's song.
What Black-Whiskered Vireos Eat
Black-whiskered vireos mostly eat insects. They find insects by picking them off tree leaves. Sometimes, they even hover in the air while looking for food! They also enjoy eating small amounts of berries.
Challenges for Young Vireos
Sometimes, other birds try to lay their eggs in a vireo's nest. This is called nest parasitism. In the US, the brown-headed cowbird sometimes does this. Further south, the shiny cowbird might also try.
- A guide to the birds of Costa Rica by Stiles and Skutch ISBN: 0-8014-9600-4
See also
In Spanish: Vireo bigotudo para niños
