Exploring Nature: Blue-headed Vireo

A lady friend of mine recently reported seeing a blue-headed vireo on her property

I tried to summon up an image of that bird and was quite unsuccessful. I drew a complete blank.

Not that I am a noted expert on bird identification, but I have seen a ton of birds over the years and the only vireo I could vaguely recall was the Cassin’s, a species not usually found in our area.

So I consulted my Sibley bird guide and found that the blue-headed vireo really has a gray head – not blue at all. It is found throughout the eastern U.S., including Texas. It has bright white “spectacles” around the eyes, a stout bill and a short tail. Its belly is white and it sports a dull yellow wash on its upper body.

This vireo is about five inches long, has a nine-inch wingspan and weighs about 16 grams.

There are several vireos in North America, including the gray, red-eyed, yellow-green, black-whiskered, warbling, Philadelphia, Bell’s, Hutton’s, black-capped, white-eyed, thick-billed, plumbeous and Cassin’s. I can’t recall having seen any of them.

So I have a lot of watching to do to get to know the vireo family. It’s something I can put on my to-do list. Right along with picking peppers from my very productive chili pequin plant.

Those peppers are yours for the asking, by the way. Just send me a stamped, self-addressed envelope and I’ll send you one. Send the envelope to me at 750 Cypress Creek Lane, Wimberley, Texas 78676. Deadline is Sept. 1.