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At first glance, the Warbling Vireo might seem drab, nondescript and uniformly gray, but this bird is an Olympic songster.
Though this bird isn’t as flashy as many of the warblers, learning to notice its field marks is an exercise in appreciating subtlety. Look for a hooked bill, blue feet and a distinctive white eye stripe on this grayish bird with light underparts. And if that doesn’t seem like much, the bird’s indomitable, spirited song imbues the plain plumage with a feisty personality.
All-Day Crooner
True to its name, the Warbling vireo has a boisterous, bubbly, undulating song that flutters its way through upper and lower registers, and what’s even more impressive — the bird doesn’t limit its singing to early morning hours. Even at peak humidity during the dog days of summer, when their avian cousins quiet down, the cheerful song of the warbling vireo can be heard at all hours from the tops of trees.
In-season Menus
In the spring, the Warbling Vireo’s diet consists of protein-rich insects necessary for breeding and raising young. Caterpillars, moths, beetles are favorites. Barely larger than a chickadee, the Warbling Vireo feeds by flycatching and gleaning insects off leaves. In the fall, once breeding season is over and the need for protein diminishes, their diets expand to include berries and fruit.
Nest Engineers
Warbling Vireos spend most of their time in the tops of trees, and females build hanging nests as high as 140 feet above ground. Nest material includes bark, leaves, spider silk, and the inside is cozy thanks to a melange of animal fur, lichen, threads, and willow down. Typically they lay 3 to 5 eggs and both parents feed the hungry hatchlings, sometimes as often as 29 times per hour. Warbling Vireos are fiercely protective of their young and unleash their fury by mobbing potential predators such as Blue Jays or Common Grackles, if they dare approach their nest.
Seeing Warbling Vireos in Toronto:
Arrival date: early May
Departure date: late September
Where to see them: Look for them singing their hearts out in tops of trees all day long, in parks along the lake such as Tommy Thompson Park, Ashbridges Bay, and Colonel Samuel Smith Park, or anywhere along Toronto’s many ravines. Since Warbling Vireos breed in Toronto, look out for their hanging nests and see if you can spot parents feeding their youngsters!
Looking for an in-town hike? Check out the Lower Humber River and this easy midtown ravine walk.
