Cassin’s Vireo
Vireo cassinii

The Cassin’s Vireo, along with the Blue-Headed and Plumbeous Vireos, form a trio that prior to 1997, were lumped together as a single species: the Solitary Vireo. Each of the three have visual differences to help distinguish them from each other, but they also have general regional distinctions. The Cassin’s Vireo is more of a western bird, the Plumbeous a mid-continent bird, while the Blue-Headed Vireos live in a more eastern region of North America. All three members issue songs that sound remarkably similar. I liken their songs to a “call-and-answer” sequence, beginning with an up-slurred “two-wheet” question, followed by down-slurred “two-woo” answer.
Today, science recognises two subspecies of Cassin’s Vireo:
- V. c. cassinii breeds from southern British Columbia, and southwestern Alberta (Canada) and south into Washington, Montana, all the way to California and east into northern Baja California (Mexico). They spend winters from southern California to Arizona and south to Oaxaca (Mexico).
- V. c. lucasanus lives in southern Baja California (Mexico).
I once met a Cassin’s Vireo in my southern California yard, but, as with most of us, the first time meeting was the most memorable. Mine came while I was working on the San Diego County Bird Atlas in 2004. Most of the work for the book was complete, but some species still had no images available for the publication. I made it my mission to gather images of as many of these missing species as I could. The Cassin’s Vireo was one such bird, and I captured an image, along with other species, that became a part of the published account.
16 Photos

Cassin's Vireo(Vireo cassinii) |
Description: In the wooded lands near Butte Falls Oregon. |
Date Taken: 2016:05:03 11:35 |
Location:
Eighty Acre Creek |
Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: D729868-CassinsVireo |
© 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Cassin's Vireo(Vireo cassinii) |
Description: Along the road to Applegate Lake from Jacksonville, Oregon. |
Date Taken: 2015:06:10 11:46 |
Location:
Applegate Valley |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: D3X9761-CassinsVireo |
© 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Cassin's Vireo(Vireo cassinii) |
Description: Along the road to Applegate Lake from Jacksonville, Oregon. |
Date Taken: 2015:06:10 10:40 |
Location:
Applegate Valley |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: D3X9714-CassinsVireo |
© 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Cassin's Vireo(Vireo cassinii) |
Description: Along the road to Applegate Lake from Jacksonville, Oregon. |
Date Taken: 2015:06:10 10:40 |
Location:
Applegate Valley |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: D3X9708-CassinsVireo |
© 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Cassin's Vireo(Vireo cassinii) |
Description: Along the road to Applegate Lake from Jacksonville, Oregon. |
Date Taken: 2015:06:10 10:37 |
Location:
Applegate Valley |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/400 |
File Name: D3X9685-CassinsVireo |
© 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Cassin's Vireo(Vireo cassinii) |
Description: Along the road to Applegate Lake from Jacksonville, Oregon. |
Date Taken: 2015:06:10 10:35 |
Location:
Applegate Valley |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: D3X9647-CassinsVireo |
© 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Cassin's Vireo(Vireo cassinii) |
Description: Along the road to Applegate Lake from Jacksonville, Oregon. |
Date Taken: 2015:06:10 10:34 |
Location:
Applegate Valley |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/640 |
File Name: D3X9624-CassinsVireo |
© 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Cassin's Vireo(Vireo cassinii) |
Description: Along the road to Applegate Lake from Jacksonville, Oregon. |
Date Taken: 2015:06:10 10:34 |
Location:
Applegate Valley |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/500 |
File Name: D3X9622-CassinsVireo |
© 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Cassin's Vireo(Vireo cassinii) |
Description: Poway. San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:05:05 14:35 |
Location:
Poway Grove Park |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: D3X4941-CassinsVireo |
© 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Cassin's Vireo(Vireo cassinii) |
Description: Poway. San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:05:05 14:35 |
Location:
Poway Grove Park |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: D3X4930-CassinsVireo |
© 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Cassin's Vireo(Vireo cassinii) |
Description: At "The Springs" on Santa Rosa Mountain. Southern Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2011:09:11 15:14 |
Location:
Ribbonwood |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 |
File Name: Cut_D3X2723-CassinsVireo |
© 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |


Cassin's Vireo(Vireo cassinii) |
Description: At "The Springs" on Santa Rosa Mountain. Southern Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2011:09:11 15:14 |
Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 |
File Name: D3X2723-CassinsVireo |
© 2011 Jack Daynes, (shadetree-imaging.com) |


Cassin's Vireo(Vireo cassinii) |
Description: Santa Rosa Mountain, Southern Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2004:08:25 15:07 |
Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 |
File Name: JCD_9022CassinsVireo |
© 2004 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |


Cassin's Vireo(Vireo cassinii) |
Description: Sabino Canyon Park south of Summerhaven. Mount Lemmon, Arizona. |
Date Taken: 2017:04:28 8:28 |
Location:
Marshall Gulch |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/200 |
File Name: CassinsVireo_D5X8846 |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |

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