Black-whiskered Vireo – Vireo altiloquus

Common species – Full page sponsored by Tody Tours
Family Vireonidae (vireos, greenlets, shrike-babblers) – Viréo à moustaches en français
First publication : 24 June 2021 – Last update : 24 June 2021

This vireo is part of a series of plain-winged, dark eyed (blackish brown to red) and large species. However, it has one peculiarity that easily distinguishes it from others: a dark grey malar stripe, often appearing blackish, which has inspired its common name. It breeds mainly in the Caribbean islands where it is common and widespread. It is also found, as a breeding summer visitor, on the coast of Florida (USA). It is a partial migrant; part of the population winters in northern South America.

Several details remain to be established, as for example, on Hispaniola where it is present in winter (unlike Cuba), it has not yet been determined whether it is sedentary there or if winter individuals involve birds from elsewhere, such as the United States, the Bahamas or even Cuba.

For such a common bird, relatively little is known about its way of life, but it looks very similar to related species like the Red-eyed or the Yucatan Vireo.

It eats more fruits and berries than the latter (about 60% of the diet) and the rest is made up of arthropods. The female builds a deep bowl-shaped nest on her own, with lots of spider webs and plant materials (including bark fibers, grass, stems, etc.). She incubates her few eggs alone for two weeks, then the male finally participates by actively feeding the young in the nest (11 days) and then until more than a month after fledging.

Involve the kids to learn to accept wildlife around us

Humans being virtually everywhere on the planet, sustainable populations of wild animals can survive only if they can adapt to modified or urbanised habitats. It is already the case for many bird species throughout the world. However, we can see a huge difference between areas where local people accept or even enjoy living next to wild animals and those where people kill them for food or even for fun ; worse, some humans “clean” nests ! We have seen that for various species such as the House Martin in Europe, where some building owners think nests are “dirty” on their walls or for the Palmchat in Dominican Republic where palm trees are “cleaned” to be more attractive for the tourists ! This is why Holistic Birding offers this page to Tody Tours and, more specifically, to the family who manages the camp at Villa Barrancolí.

Kids have little activities since schools are closed with Covid crisis, and they spend a lot of time in nature. When they find nests, as the one shown below, they make sure it is safe and enjoy when healthy chicks fledge and start flying. They play at being guides in showing those who are interested, as myself, their discoveries. It is thus with joy that I offer them this simple page.

Valéry Schollaert

**Black-whiskered Vireo**, Villa Barrancolí (Puerto Escondido), Dominican Republic, June 2021
Here is the nest found by the kids in the property.

Taxonomy and subspecies

This vireo is part of a complex, sometimes considered as one super-species, that also includes Red-eyed, Yellow-green, Yucatan and Noronha Vireos. It is unclear if one of them is sister with the Black-whiskered Vireo but all are certainly closely related and some have even sometimes been considered conspecific with one or two others.

Not less than six subspecies are usually recognized, but the variations are minor. The beak is longer or shorter, the undertail has a more or less visible yellowish tinge, upperparts are more greyish or more olive, etc. Birds shown here all belong to the nominative subspecies.