During my recent hike at the Sweetwater Wetland Preserve we spotted quite a few smaller birds as well as large birds like osprey and herons. One of the prettiest ones we saw was the white eyed vireo (Vireo griseus). They are small, colorful songbirds that like to live in thick underbrush. Like so many of the small birds, they are very energetic and don’t stay put for long, so they aren’t easy to see, let alone photograph. This little guy stayed still for just long enough for me to get off one shot before he was off to his next location, deeper in the brush. This is typical hunting behavior for these birds, who are insectivores this time of year, but will add fruits and berries to their diets in the fall and winter.

In Florida, and much of the southeastern United States, white eyed vireos are residents, but those birds that live in the northeast will migrate into Mexico and the Caribbean for the winter. This time of year is the start of the nesting season and pairs are in the process of building their nests and sitting on eggs. The nest building, incubation, and caring for the young is all done by both birds. Nests are usually 2-6 feet off the ground, placed in the forked branch of a tree or shrub. Spider web is used to suspend the nest, which is made of twigs, grasses, mosses, and often times paper or plastic. Pairs are monogamous during the breeding season, but do not necessarily keep the same mates for future seasons.

White eyed vireos are one of the few bird species whose numbers have actually increased since the 1970s and 1980s. This may be due to their reclusive nature and the fact that they will live in fairly close proximity to people as long as underbrush is available to them. Most of the time that we were in Sweetwater, these little birds could be heard singing, but they were rarely seen.