Tag Archives: Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus)

Vocal Red-eyed Vireo

June 7, 2026

A Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus) is a bird that has a lot to say, in very few words. In mnemonic terms it simply says, “Here I am. Where are you.” Very quickly. Over and over. I’m hearing them quite often, and seeing them when I’m lucky.

And this is the nest of a Red-eyed Vireo, just a bit more than 2 inches across, in a cup shape, suspended from the horizontal fork of a Flowering Dogwood tree (Cornus florida). It’s woven strips of bark, grasses, and pine needles, along with bits of wasp or hornet nests. All this is held together with spiderwebs and caterpillar silk. This tiny spot is lined with fine grasses, bits of roots, and sometimes animal hair.

Pure magic.

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Seldom Seen

April 27, 2025

This blog post title, it is not the bluegrass group, The Seldom Scene, it’s about a bird that I hear often but rarely get an opportunity to capture in a picture. The Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus).

Both male and female make a call that sounds like a Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) saying, “Myaaah!” The male sings a melodious song, that I use a mnemonic to remember, “Here I am! Where are you?!” Thanks to that mnemonic I’m able to know with great confidence that it is a Red-eyed Vireo singing that song from the tops of trees as he looks for insects.

Several years ago in what seemed like a moment of *magic* a Red-eyed Vireo nest was found in a Flowering Dogwood tree (Cornus florida). The nest was watched for a few days until the hatchlings fledged.

A super sighting.

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