Yellow-Throated Vireo

Vireo flavifrons

I met Yellow-Throated Vireos during their spring migration through south Texas in 2021 as they moved from their winter homes in Mexico, the West Indies and the Caribbean, Central America and northern South America. These birds breed in every state in the USA from the Mississippi Valley to the Atlantic seaboard.

Though there is some geographic variation, there are no recognised subspecies of Yellow-Throated Vireo (i.e. they are monotypic). These birds require large tracts of unfragmented woods for successful breeding. They seem to prefer wooded edges near streams, swamps, and roads to make their nest. We often find Red-Eyed Vireos in the same habitats.

Researchers view the Yellow-Throated Vireo as an under-studied species. In both their winter homes and on their breeding grounds, observers regard them as uncommon. They nest high in the canopy of mature deciduous or mixed forests, making observations a challenge.

I usually find beauty in all my avian subjects, but the Yellow-Throated Vireo ranks very high on my most stunning vireo scale. As with all such subjective views, much is in the eye-of-the-beholder.