Serenades: Red-eyed Vireo

Imagine that it is mid-June, and you’re hiking in a forest. You hear this one birdsong. With very few (if any) breaks between these repeated phrases.

You’re not sure, but you think there might be several of these birds.

What you can tell for certain though, is that the song has a repetitive pattern to it. And it’s coming from the canopy — the upper parts of the trees.

And, try as you might, you can’t quite see any of these birds that are singing this song.

What you’re hearing is the Red-eyed Vireo.

One of the most common ways of remembering their songs is recognizing that their song sounds like its asking, and answering, questions.

“Where are you? Here I am.”

But there’s one other trick that works.

Once again, we could (we can) use a mnemonic that focuses on rhythm and syllables instead.

Vireo? Vireo.

This trick also works for some other vireo species, such as Blue-headed, Yellow-throated, and Philadelphia Vireos who have the same rhythm but different tones and qualities to the sounds they produce.

Birdsong Serenades is Songbirding Studios production, and is recorded, engineered, narrated and created by me, Rob Porter.

What is Birdsong Serenades?

Learning to identify birdsong by ear can be a satisfying skill for anyone who has interest in birds and nature. In this podcast, birdsong recordist Rob Porter introduces you to the songs found in various habitats across North America.

Recordings are by Rob Porter.

Cover art is by Lauren Helton. https://tinylongwing.carbonmade.com/