Bell's Vireo

Vireo bellii

Bell's Vireo is a small, cheerful bird that loves to sing! It has a soft yellow belly and olive-green back, making it blend in with the leaves. You can often find it flitting around in bushes and trees.

Habitat: Shrublands

Appearance

The Bell's Vireo is a small, plain songbird with dull olive-gray feathers on its back and a whitish belly. It has faint, pale wing bars and a delicate, often broken, white eye-ring, giving it a subtle 'spectacled' look. Its slightly hooked bill is slender and dark.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassAvesOrderPasseriformesFamilyVireonidaeGenusVireo

Photo from Wikimedia CommonsPublic domainView original ↗

Bell's Vireo

Interesting facts

Bell's Vireos sometimes unknowingly raise bigger, unrelated cowbird chicks!

Some Bell's Vireos fly over 1,000 miles to find warmer winter homes!

Their tricky song often changes, making it one of the hardest bird calls to learn!

They act like tiny pest controllers, munching on hundreds of garden insects!

Special abilities

Bell's Vireo can sing a complex, scratchy two-part song, changing its pattern, that helps them claim territory and find a mate.

Bell's Vireo has agile movements that help them glean insects directly from dense leaves and twigs, finding hidden prey.

Bell's Vireo can expertly weave a small, deep cup-shaped nest suspended in a shrub fork, keeping their eggs and chicks safe.

Measurements & details

Length: 11.5-12.5 cm
Wingspan: 16-18 cm
Weight: 0.008-0.01 kg
Lifespan: 3-5 years
Speed: 35 km/h
Clutch Size: 3-5
Incubation: 12-14 days
Migration Distance: 2000 km

Diet & Feeding

These tiny birds mostly feast on juicy insects they pluck from leaves and branches!

Primary Foods

Caterpillars
Beetles
Grasshoppers
Spiders
Small berries

Foraging Method

Foraging

Ecological connections

Parasitizes

Brown-headed Cowbird

Molothrus ater

Lays eggs in the vireo's nest.

Eaten by

Great Horned Owl

Bubo virginianus

A powerful night hunter.

Shelter

Scrub Oak

Quercus berberidifolia

Provides dense nesting spots.

Shelter

Sandbar Willow

Salix exigua

Common in riparian habitats.

Traits

Feathered

Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers.

Social

Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.

Singing

Singing animals produce complex vocalizations, often for purposes of attracting mates, defending territory, or communicating within their species.

Insectivorous

This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates.

Diurnal

Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night.

Pollinator

Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.

Also known as

No aliases listed yet.

Collections

Birds

Safety

Danger

1/5 · Very low

Enjoy watching birds from a distance, and don't disturb their nests.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to identify Bell's Vireo?

Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

How long is Bell's Vireo?

11.5-12.5 cm

What is Bell's Vireo's wingspan?

16-18 cm

How much does Bell's Vireo weigh?

0.008-0.01 kg

How long does Bell's Vireo live?

3-5 years

How fast can Bell's Vireo move?

35 km/h

What does Bell's Vireo eat?

These tiny birds mostly feast on juicy insects they pluck from leaves and branches!