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Philadelphia Vireo

Vireo philadelphicus Order PASSERIFORMES - Family VIREONIDAE
Summary Detailed
For complete Life History Information on this species, visit Birds of North America Online.

Philadelphia Vireo
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Philadelphia Vireo
About the photographs
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About the map
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  1. Cool Facts
  2. Description
  3. Similar Species
  4. Sound
  5. Range
  6. Habitat
  7. Food
  8. Behavior
  9. Conservation Status
  10. Other Names

A bird of young deciduous woods, the Philadelphia Vireo is the most northernly breeding species of vireo. It is often overlooked because its more common relative, the Red-eyed Vireo lives in the same areas and gets most of the attention.

Cool Facts

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  • Philadelphia and Red-eyed vireos can coexist in the same places because the Philadelphia Vireo modifies its behavior either to exclude the Red-eyed Vireo from its territory or to avoid it by foraging in areas seldom used by that species.

  • The Philadelphia Vireo and the Red-eyed Vireo exclude each other from their territories.

    Description

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    • Size: 11-13 cm (4-5 in)
    • Weight: 11-13 g (0.39-0.46 ounces)

    • Small drab songbird.
    • Back grayish green.
    • Cap grayish.
    • Underparts pale yellow, palest on throat and deepest on breast.
    • Eyebrow white.
    • Blackish line through and in front of eye.
    • No wingbars, tail spots, or eyering.

    • Eyes dark brown.
    • Tail relatively short.
    • Legs slaty.

    Sex Differences

    Sexes alike.

    Immature

    Similar to adult.

    Similar Species

    • Warbling Vireo can have yellowish flanks, but not yellow on breast, and has less distinct facial pattern.
    • Tennessee Warber is slightly smaller, has thinner, more pointed bill, and a bright green back.

    Sound

    Song a broken series of slurred notes. Each phrase usually ends in either a downslur or an upswing, as if the bird asks a question, then answers it, over and over. May repeat same phrase twice or more in a row.

    »listen to songs of this species
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    Range

    Range Map


    © 2004 Cornell Lab of Ornithology
    About the map

    Summer Range

    Breeds from northeastern British Columbia across Canada to New Brunswick, and in very northern tier of United States.

    Winter Range

    Winters in Central America.

    Habitat

    Breeds in early and mid-successional deciduous woods and parklands, especially among aspens, birches, alders, and ashes.

    Food

    Insects and some fruit.

    Behavior

    Foraging

    Gleans prey from foliage, from perch or in flight.

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    Conservation Status

    Populations appear secure.

    Other Names

    Vireo de Philadelphie (French)

    Sources used to construct this page:

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    Moskoff, W., and S. K. Robinson. 1996. Philadelphia Vireo (Vireo philadelphicus). In The Birds of North America, No. 214 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.

     
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