Happy-go-lucky and charismatic, the nondescript Warbling Vireo is just that, a mesmerizing singer. If one travels edges of riparian birding venues, if your mood is poor, it won't be for long. This bird has a wanton and uplifting sound quality that will keep anybody wanting more of it. Many have hoped that a family will just happen to choose a nearby tree for nesting purposes, just for the joyful sounds that will constantly come from the vicinity.
Favoring cottonwoods and aspens, this loner gleans insects from mid- to upper-story levels. However, if a young member of the family has recently fledged, the entire family goes along for the ride. This is a common breeding bird of most of the country, yet many never get to see it for long, as it is always on the move within the leaves, just like its quarry.
The nest is much more a work of art than the remaining vireos in Payne County. It is usually high in its tree of choice, well sheltered by a leaf canopy. They are in the slenderest of branches in a fork that they can find, usually in an area that no predator can safely alight near the top of the tree. However, in recent years, one nest was located where the tree was in a gully, so it was nearly at eye level.
Warbling Vireo Nest
Photographed January 2017
A pair was met shortly after they arrived in early spring a couple of years ago. The two stayed in close proximity and foraged together, but they both made themselves quite available for photos. I believe that the male could have been courting the female, as he did a great deal of fluttering about and she remained rather cool to his behavior.
Male Warbling Vireo
After the young fledge, they are very light colored, and they sound nothing like the parents, giving an odd, non-descript single note. This was what drew me to them, the color and the sound that emanated from the fledgling. The parents were constantly feeding the young, which were always on the parent's tail. Try as I might, I was unable to get a good photo of the young, as they were darting about so quickly.
This family unit was observed in July of 2018. They disappeared from the nesting area about a week later, but it is believed that they still reside in the area. Several pair were noted in a mile-and-a-half region.
Female Warbling Vireo
No comments:
Post a Comment