Yellow-throated Vireo

In New Hampshire, Yellow-throated Vireos are primarily birds of river valleys and hardwood forest edges. Like other birds of this habitat (e.g., Blue-gray Gnatcatcher) it occurs primarily in southeastern New Hampshire and along a narrow band up the Connecticut River. Even in these areas, however, it is sparsely distributed and outnumbered by other vireo species. Available data suggest that while populations are generally increasing across the eastern United States, those in the Northeast are best described as stable (with fluctuations). In the early 1900s there was concern that the species had been eliminated in many areas, possibly because of pesticide spraying, but it appears to have recovered from such losses.

Like those of most vireos, the song of the Yellow-throated is usually a repeated series of two- or three-note phrases, usually uttered from some hidden perch in the forest canopy. It does not repeat these phrases as frequently as the Red-eyed Vireo and has a distinctive buzzy quality that helps distinguish it from the similarly slow Blue-headed. One rendition of the song is a harsh, rising then falling “three eight.”

This nest, like those of our other vireos, is a tidy cup woven of grass and bark that hangs below a horizontal fork in a branch. Although their height above the ground varies, most are at least 20 feet up, with exceptional cases of over 75 feet. Yellow-throated Vireos typically lay four eggs, which are incubated for two weeks. Both sexes incubate, although only the female does so at night. The male will often sing just before relieving the female at the nest and sometimes even while incubating, so seeking out a singing bird always brings with it the possibility finding a nest.