Hutton's VireoVireo huttoni
DESCRIPTION
4 1/4-4 3/4" (11-12 cm). A small, grayish-olive vireo with a partial white eye ring below, incomplete "spectacle," and 2 white wing bars separated by blackish. See Ruby-crowned Kinglet.
VOICE
Loud short whistles and chatter. A monotonous 2-part phrase, either up-slurred or down-slurred: chu-whe, chu-wee or che-eer, che-eer. Call is a harsh chit-chit.
HABITAT
Deciduous and mixed forests, primarily oak woodlands; also, live-oak tangles in canyons of the Southwest.
RANGE
Resident in southwestern British Columbia south to southern California, central Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and western Texas.
DISCUSSION
This bird moves slowly, almost sluggishly through the canopy, halting after every move to forage for insects among the foliage. During winter, Hutton's Vireo may join a mixed flock, where it is easily confused with the smaller Ruby-crowned Kinglet.
NESTING
3 or 4 white eggs, with scattered brown spots, in a hanging cup nest lined with feathers and moss suspended from a shrub branch or young tree.
