| Hutton's Vireo | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Vireonidae |
| Genus: | Vireo |
| Species: | V. huttoni |
| Binomial name | |
| Vireo huttoni Cassin, 1851 |
|
Hutton's Vireo (Vireo huttoni) is a small songbird. It is approximately 5 inches (12-13 cm) in length, dull olive-gray above and below. It has a faint white eye ring and faint white wing bars. It closely resembles a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, but has a thicker bill and is slightly larger in size. Its most common song is a repeated chu-wee, or a chew, but will have other variations. Its call is a mewing chatter.
It is found from southern British Columbia in Canada to central Guatemala in Central America. Recent DNA studies suggest this species may be split into at least 2 different species, with coastal Pacific birds showing enough genetic variation when compared to interior ones.
This vireo makes a hanging cup nest suspended from a fork of a tree. The female lays 3-4 eggs. The eggs are mostly white in color, with scattered brown spotting. It prefers deciduous-mixed forests, and is particularly fond of live oak. It feeds by gleaning insects as it deliberately moves through the forest canopy.
Birds are mostly resident in year round, but there may be some altitudinal and short distance migration. Hutton's Vireo may join a mixed species flock for the winter.