# White-eyed Vireo (*Vireo griseus*) The White-eyed Vireo is a small, lively bird with bright yellow sides and a distinctive white eye. They love to sing and can often be found hopping around in bushes and trees, looking for tasty insects to eat. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 12 - **Habitat:** Forests ![White-eyed Vireo](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/White-eyed_vireo_blandair_5.5.21_DSC_5168.jpg&width=800) Photo: lwolfartist, CC BY 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:White-eyed_vireo_blandair_5.5.21_DSC_5168.jpg) ## Appearance The White-eyed Vireo is a small songbird with a key identifying feature: brilliant white eyes in adults. It has a yellowish wash on its flanks, two distinct pale wing bars, and yellow spectacles around its eyes. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Passeriformes - **Family:** Vireonidae - **Genus:** Vireo ## Interesting facts - Its complex song has many variations, including harsh notes! - Juvenile vireos have dark eyes before turning brilliant white. - These energetic birds frequently flick their tails while foraging. - They often build delicate, cup-shaped nests low to the ground. ## Special abilities - **Acoustic Camouflage:** White-eyed Vireo can hide in dense bushes while singing loudly because their calls are ventriloquial, making them hard to pinpoint. - **Insect Investigator:** White-eyed Vireo has keen eyesight that helps them spot tiny insects and spiders hidden in the leaves and branches for food. - **Berry Buffet Finder:** White-eyed Vireo can quickly locate and consume small berries because their diet shifts to fruits during cooler months. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 11-13 cm - **Wingspan:** 17-20 cm - **Weight:** 0.01-0.018 kg - **Lifespan:** 4-6 years - **Speed:** 35 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 3-5 - **Incubation:** 13-15 days - **Migration Distance:** 1500 km ## Diet & Feeding This little bird mostly munches on insects and spiders, but enjoys wild berries and fruits too! - **Primary Foods:** Caterpillars, Beetles, Spiders, Flies, Wild Berries, Small Fruits - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Parasitizes:** [Brown-headed Cowbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-headed-cowbird) (*Molothrus ater*) — lays eggs in vireo nests, often replacing their own. - **Eats:** Tobacco Hornworm (*Manduca sexta*) — feeds on caterpillars found on leaves and branches. - **Eaten by:** [Sharp-shinned Hawk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sharp-shinned-hawk) (*Accipiter striatus*) — a small raptor that preys on smaller birds like vireos. - **Eaten by:** [Domestic Cat](https://www.snappit.app/explore/domestic-cat) (*Felis catus*) — significant predator, especially near human settlements. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Singing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/singing): Singing animals produce complex vocalizations, often for purposes of attracting mates, defending territory, or communicating within their species. - [Arboreal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/arboreal): Arboreal animals live primarily in trees, utilizing them for shelter, food, and protection from predators. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Enjoy watching birds from a distance and be quiet so you don’t scare them away. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify White-eyed 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 White-eyed Vireo? 11-13 cm ### What is White-eyed Vireo's wingspan? 17-20 cm ### How much does White-eyed Vireo weigh? 0.01-0.018 kg ### How long does White-eyed Vireo live? 4-6 years ### How fast can White-eyed Vireo move? 35 km/h ### What does White-eyed Vireo eat? This little bird mostly munches on insects and spiders, but enjoys wild berries and fruits too! ### Where is White-eyed Vireo usually found? Forests ## Where to spot - [Chambers County Courthouse Square Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chambers-county-courthouse-square-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/corkscrew-swamp-sanctuary) — Florida, US · Nature Reserve - [Hedgesville Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hedgesville-historic-district) — West Virginia, US · Historic District - [Athens Lunatic Asylum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/athens-lunatic-asylum) — Ohio, US · Historic District - [Bear Creek Pioneers Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bear-creek-pioneers-park) — Texas, US · Park - [East Home Avenue Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/east-home-avenue-historic-district) — South Carolina, US · Historic District [View all places to see White-eyed Vireo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/white-eyed-vireo) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [White-eyed Vireo: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-eyed-vireo)