Very, Very Vireo

Vireos, a family of songbirds distributed around the world, might be one of the families of birds least familiar to non-birders. Vireos don’t make it to Alaska; WC only had limited experience with this family of birds from trips to warmer climes before moving to Idaho. They aren’t as flashy as their warbler cousins, but do sometimes have a subtle beauty. WC was lucky enough to see and photograph six members of the Vireo family on that recent trip to Texas. The photos aren’t uniformly good, but may be good enough to serve as an introduction for readers. All of these photos were taken in April 2022 in Texas.

The Black-capped Vireo has only a small range in the U.S., confined to Texas and a small part of Oklahoma. This male was singing on territory and very nearly cooperative. The species is regarded…