Birding

We love to travel to find new birds and participate in a lot of bird counts. We also created a Guide to Birding Field Guides and host a collection of over 300 birding links from all over the globe.

Conservation

While our main focus continues to be birds, we promote other areas of conservation as well. Conserving land not only benefits wildlife, but is hugely beneficial to people as well.

Outdoors

We love all sorts of outdoor activities, especially hiking and spend a lot of time outside with dogs and horses. We are working to produce more articles on all sorts of outdoor fun!

Photography

Every week we bring you Bird Photography Weekly. We periodically talk about our adventures in digiscoping. Feel free to browse our photo lifelist.

31 Cool Bird Facts #11 – Red-eyed Vireo

October 11, 2008
Article in: Birding

Red-eyed Vireos [Vireo olivaceus] are extremely common in the summer yet sometimes hard to spot. Luckily, they tend to call for hours.

Red-eyed Vireo {Vireo olivaceus}

“One enthusiastic Red-eyed Vireo was recorded singing more than 27,000 times in one day” – The Young Birder’s Guide to Birds of Eastern North America.

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Vivacious Vireos

June 10, 2008
Article in: Birding

In northern Illinois we have seven regularly occurring species of vireos. In the U.S. there are 14. Each of these vocal vixens are often heard more than seen as they sluggishly skulk in the shrubbery. Problem is, their sounds are often similar, so identifying them can be a bit tricky.

White-eyed Vireos might hide a lot but their sound is always a joy to hear
White-eyed Vireo

From the Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of North America:

Gray Vireo song: “short whistled phrases with burry sound, similar to Plumbeous Vireo’s song”
Plumbeous Vireo song: “short whistled phrashes with burry quality, much like Cassin’s Vireo”
Cassin’s Vireo song: “like Blue-headed Vireo’s but with burry sound”
Blue-headed Vireo song: “Like Red-eyed Vireo’s but higher-pitched”

So, a Gray Vireo sings a short-whistled, high-pitched, burry, Red-eyed Vireo song. That simplifies things!

Red-eyed Vireo posing out on an open branch
Red-eyed Vireo {Vireo olivaceus}

In our area we have three distinct sounding vireos, Bell’s, White-eyed, and Warbling. We’ve somewhat mastered the Yellow-throated song, so all that remains are Blue-headed, Philadelphia, and the always present Red-eyed.

But despite their similarities, vireos are wonderful birds to have around, even if they may not be as colorful (debatable) or active as the wood-warblers.

Blue-headed Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo

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