photo by Phil Swanson

Vireo griseus

Song or calls:
Listen (NGPC audio)

Song is loud, variable 5 to 7 note phrase usually beginning and ending with a sharp “chick.”

Description: Sexes similar. Grayish-olive above, with wings being darker; white below, with pale yellow sides and flanks; two whitish wing bars; yellow spectacles. Distinctive white eyes are visible at close range. Juvenile is duller, with gray or brown eyes.

Habitat: Found among the dense understory of wooded bottomlands, and thickets near streams.

Where in Nebraska: Casual spring and fall migrant in the east, and a casual summer visitor, primarily in the southeast.

Fun Facts: White-eyed vireos do not bathe in shallow water but rather rub themselves against wet foliage.