Bell's Vireo
Encyclopedia
The Bell's Vireo is a small North America
n songbird
. It is 4-3/4 to 5 inches (12-13 cm) in length, dull olive-gray above and whitish below. It has a faint white eye ring and faint wing bars.
This bird was named by Audubon
for John Graham Bell
, who accompanied him on his trip up the Missouri River
in the 1840s.
The Least Bell's Vireo (Vireo bellii pusillus), is an endangered subspecies in Southern California
. Consideration of Bell's Vireo has been a factor in several land development
projects, to protect Least Bell's Vireo habitat. The decline of the Least Bell's Vireo is mostly due to a loss of riparian habitat and brood parasitism by the Brown-headed Cowbird.
d nest but when found the bird will stand its ground against intruders. Cowbird
s use Bell's Vireo nests as their own nurseries. Bell's Vireo often uses Western poison oak shrubs or vines as nesting locations. Cowbird
s sometimes lay egg
s in Bell's Vireo nests.
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n songbird
Songbird
A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds . Another name that is sometimes seen as scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin oscen, "a songbird"...
. It is 4-3/4 to 5 inches (12-13 cm) in length, dull olive-gray above and whitish below. It has a faint white eye ring and faint wing bars.
This bird was named by Audubon
John James Audubon
John James Audubon was a French-American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter. He was notable for his expansive studies to document all types of American birds and for his detailed illustrations that depicted the birds in their natural habitats...
for John Graham Bell
John Graham Bell
John Graham Bell was an American taxidermist and collector. He traveled with John James Audubon up the Missouri River in 1843. The Sage Sparrow and Bell's Vireo are named after him....
, who accompanied him on his trip up the Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
in the 1840s.
The Least Bell's Vireo (Vireo bellii pusillus), is an endangered subspecies in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
. Consideration of Bell's Vireo has been a factor in several land development
Land development
Land development refers to altering the landscape in any number of ways such as:* changing landforms from a natural or semi-natural state for a purpose such as agriculture or housing...
projects, to protect Least Bell's Vireo habitat. The decline of the Least Bell's Vireo is mostly due to a loss of riparian habitat and brood parasitism by the Brown-headed Cowbird.
Behavior and ecology
The Bell's Vireo makes a well-camouflageCamouflage
Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...
d nest but when found the bird will stand its ground against intruders. Cowbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
The Brown-headed Cowbird is a small brood parasitic icterid of temperate to subtropical North America. They are permanent residents in the southern parts of their range; northern birds migrate to the southern United States and Mexico in winter, returning to their summer habitat around March or...
s use Bell's Vireo nests as their own nurseries. Bell's Vireo often uses Western poison oak shrubs or vines as nesting locations. Cowbird
Cowbird
Cowbirds are birds belonging to the genus Molothrus in the family Icteridae. They are brood parasitic New World birds which are unrelated to the Old World cuckoos, one of which, the Common Cuckoo, is the best-known brood parasitic bird....
s sometimes lay egg
Egg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
s in Bell's Vireo nests.
External links
- Bell's Vireo Species Account - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Bell's Vireo - Vireo bellii - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
- Bell's Vireo Information - South DakotaSouth DakotaSouth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
Birds and Birding - Bell's Vireo photo gallery - VIREO
- Bell's Vireo synopsis - WisconsinWisconsinWisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
Dept of Natural Resources - Photo-High Res--(Close-up); Article - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-(So. California)
