Birds of North Carolina
their Distribution and Abundance
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Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Family (Alpha):
ACCIPITRIDAE
ALAUDIDAE
ALCEDINIDAE
ALCIDAE
ANATIDAE
ANHINGIDAE
APODIDAE
ARAMIDAE
ARDEIDAE
BOMBYCILLIDAE
CALCARIIDAE
CAPRIMULGIDAE
CARDINALIDAE
CATHARTIDAE
CERTHIIDAE
CHARADRIIDAE
CICONIIDAE
COLUMBIDAE
CORVIDAE
CUCULIDAE
DIOMEDEIDAE
FALCONIDAE
FREGATIDAE
FRINGILLIDAE
GAVIIDAE
GRUIDAE
HAEMATOPODIDAE
HIRUNDINIDAE
HYDROBATIDAE
ICTERIDAE
LANIIDAE
LARIDAE
MIMIDAE
MOTACILLIDAE
MUSCICAPIDAE
ODONTOPHORIDAE
PANDIONIDAE
PARIDAE
PARULIDAE
PASSERELLIDAE
PASSERIDAE
PELECANIDAE
PHAETHONTIDAE
PHALACROCORACIDAE
PHASIANIDAE
PHOENICOPTERIDAE
PICIDAE
PODICIPEDIDAE
POLIOPTILIDAE
PROCELLARIIDAE
PSITTACIDAE
RALLIDAE
RECURVIROSTRIDAE
REGULIDAE
SCOLOPACIDAE
SITTIDAE
STERCORARIIDAE
STRIGIDAE
STURNIDAE
SULIDAE
THRESKIORNITHIDAE
TROCHILIDAE
TROGLODYTIDAE
TURDIDAE
TYRANNIDAE
TYTONIDAE
VIREONIDAE
Home
VIREONIDAE Members:
Vireo altiloquus
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Vireo bellii
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Vireo flavifrons
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Vireo flavoviridis
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Vireo gilvus
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Vireo griseus
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Vireo olivaceus
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Vireo philadelphicus
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Vireo plumbeus
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Vireo solitarius
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Black-whiskered Vireo
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Bell's Vireo
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Yellow-throated Vireo
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Yellow-green Vireo
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Eastern Warbling-Vireo
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White-eyed Vireo
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Red-eyed Vireo
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Philadelphia Vireo
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Plumbeous Vireo
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Blue-headed Vireo
Black-whiskered Vireo 442
General Comments
For a species that nests in the West Indies and north to the western and southern coasts of Florida, one might expect at best only one or two state records for this cousin of the Red-eyed Vireo. However, the Black-whiskered Vireo "overshoots" its breeding range enough in spring that sharp-eyed or sharp-eared birders can recognize it from the very common Red-eyed. Amazingly, there are over a dozen state records, all from the Coastal Plain in spring or early summer. This is in stark contract to South Carolina, which, despite lying closer to Florida, has just three records for the species (as of 2024).
Breeding Status
Nonbreeder
NC BRC List
Definitive
State Status
none
U.S. Status
Definitive
State Rank
SZ
Global Rank
G5
Coastal Plain
Now a very rare overshooting stray along and near the coast, in spring; a remarkable 15+ records so far. One was seen at Wrightsville Beach (
New Hanover
) on 1 Apr 1960 (Chat 25:17-18); one was near Masonboro Sound (
New Hanover
) on 8 May 1983 (Chat 47:110); a bird acting territorial at Cape Lookout (
Carteret
) was present from 23 May - 2 Jul 1994 (Chat 59:87); one was seen in Beaufort (
Carteret
) on 6 May 1994 (Chat 60:140); another was at Cape Lookout on 20 May 2000 (Chat 64:156); one was found at Bald Head Island (
Brunswick
) from 6-22 Jun 2001 (Chat 66:33); and one was in Manteo (
Dare
) on 29 Jun 2006 (Chat 71:3). One was observed singing at Morehead City (
Carteret
) from 17-20 Jun 2019 (Chat 83:117); and one was photographed at Duck (
Dare
) on 1 May 2020 (Chat 84:99). Singles were seen in coastal
Dare
at Buxton on 30 Apr 2021 and likely the same not far away on 30 Apr; supposedly a different one was seen on the Hatteras Inlet peninsula on 6-15 May 2021 (Chat 85:127). Probably a different bird from the 2021 one was seen at Cape Hatteras Point on 4 May and 14 May 2022. A singing bird was photographed at Beaufort (
Carteret
) on 16-17 Jun 2023. Along the central coast of
Dare
in spring 2024, seemingly a single bird was noted singing at Oregon Inlet on 9-11 May, Bodie Island on 23 May, and at a Nags Head golf course from 25 May - 10 Jun! A few report in spring 2025 on the
Dare
Outer Banks lacked details. One found along Billfinger Road in Croatan National Forest (
Craven
) on 13 Jun 2009 is the only somewhat inland record (Chat 73:162).
Piedmont
No records.
Mountain
No records.
Finding Tips
If one is birding along the southern coastline in May or early June, especially on islands, it doesn't hurt to learn or be familiar with the song of the Black-whiskered Vireo. Many of the state records were of birds that were first heard singing, and the observers either recognized the species from the song, or realized that these were not likely Red-eyed Vireos and needed visual confirmation.