From Opus

Photo by njlarsen
Location: Dominica, August 2007

Vireo altiloquus

[edit] Identification

Back olive without wing-bars, lighter underside. In the head, strong white eye-brow, dark line from base of bill to eye, and continued behind eye, black whiskers and a bill that looks disproportionately long.

Immature shows brown iris, browner plumage and a faint wingbar.

[edit] Similar Species

Red-eyed Vireo is the most similar species within the area, but has brighter green upperparts, whiter underparts, shorter bill, and lacks the whisker. In some areas, this vireo is present in the "chivi" sub-species which is slightly different from the Red-eyed Vireos from the USA.

[edit] Distribution

Breeding in southern Florida and through most of the Caribbean. Partial migrant that is noted as a passage bird in e.g., Venezuela.

Known to winter to e.g., Brazil; even birds that don't leave the island of breeding may undergo e.g., altitudinal migration.

[edit] Taxonomy

Known in six subspecies.

[edit] Habitat

Forests, mangroves, and gardens at most if not all altitudes.

[edit] Behaviour

Not quite as slow-moving as described in the Raffaele et al. Birds of the West Indies. Gleans insects from leaves but also utilizes hovering.

[edit] External Links