Chivi Vireo - BirdForum Opus

Migratory Vireo, Chivi Vireo
Photo © by Francisco Paludo
Campo Largo, PR, Brazil, 17 October 2015

Vireo chivi

Identification

Photo © by Andy Adcock
Santa Elaena, Venezuela, 15 January 2016

Length: 12 to 14 cm (4 to 5 in)
Adult
• Medium size
• Similar to Red-eyed Vireo
• Gray crown
• Noticeable white supercilium and dark above and below this
• Upper portion of body mostly olive-green
• Light colored underneath
• Greenish yellow on sides, flanks, and under the tail
• Some yellow coloring on edges of wings
• Sexes alike

Juvenile
• Brown tinge to upper portion of body
• Greenish brown on some tips
• Less contrast to head pattern
• Possible molt contrast in wings

Distribution

Trinidad and Tobago, Netherlands Antilles, South America, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina.

Taxonomy

Formerly included in Red-eyed Vireo

Subspecies

There are 9 subspecies in two groups.^[1]:

Resident

V.c caucae:

Tropical western Colombia

V.c griseobarbatus:

Tropical western Ecuador and north-western Peru

V.c pectoralis:

Middle Maranon Valley of extreme southern Ecuador (Zamora-Chinchipe)and northern Peru (Cajamarca, Amazonas, La Libertad)

V.c vividior:

Colombia to Venezuela, the Guianas and northern Brazil; Trinidad

V.c tobagensis:

Tobago

V.c solimoensis:

Western Amazon River and tributaries, from eastern Ecuador and northern Peru east to central Brazil (east to the west bank of Madeira)

V.c agilis:

Eastern Amazon River and tributaries (west to the Madeira), and coastal northeastern and eastern Brazil (south to Rio de Janeiro)

Migratory

V.c diversus:

South East Brazil (Sao Paulo) to Uruguay, Paraguay and north eastern Argentina

V.c chivi:

West Amazonian basin; winters north to Colombia and Venezuela

Habitat

This species can be found in a far ranging variety of forests, woodlands and scrub areas.

They are seen in lower lying areas as well as at elevations of around 2,900 m/ 9,500 ft in Bolivia, 2,600 m/ 8,500 ft in eastern Peru, 1,500 m/ 5,000 ft in Colombia, 1,500 m/ 5,000 ft in Southeastern Brazil, and 1,300-1,800 m/ 4,200-6,000 ft in eastern Ecuador.

Behaviour

Breeding

There is not a lot of detailed breeding data available for this species. It's unknown the role the sexes play in the process. The knowledge thought to be true is due, in part, to its formerly being conspecific with the Red-eyed Vireo and other anecdotal observations as well as references on nests in other publications. Nests are often cup-shaped and constructed of various vegetable material. Clutch is generally 2 – 4 eggs.

Feeding

Predominantly feed on insects, seeds, and fruit.

References

Clements, J. F., P. C. Rasmussen, T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, A. Spencer, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2023. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2023. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
Lepage D. (2021) [Avibase - https://avibase.ca/83ACB824]. Retrieved 6 January 2021
Kirwan, G. M. (2020). Chivi Vireo (Vireo chivi), version 1.1. In Birds of the World (T. S. Schulenberg, B. K. Keeney, S. M. Billerman, and P. G. Rodewald, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.chivir1.01.1

List of references

Recommended Citation

BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Chivi Vireo. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 10 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Chivi_Vireo

External Links

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