The red-eyed vireo (Vireo olivaceus) is a small songbird found across much of North America. With its distinctive red eyes and olive-gray plumage, the red-eyed vireo is a classic woodland bird that birdwatchers look for in the spring and summer months. But exactly where is the range of this widespread species found? Read on to learn about the habitat and range of the red-eyed vireo across different regions of North America.
Range Across North America
The red-eyed vireo breeds across much of North America from southeastern Alaska across Canada to Newfoundland and south throughout the eastern and central United States. Its breeding range reaches as far south as northern Texas and northern Florida. These songbirds migrate to wintering grounds in South America, primarily east of the Andes Mountains in Argentina, Brazil and surrounding countries. Here are some more details on the range of the red-eyed vireo during breeding and migration:
Breeding Range
During the spring and summer breeding season, the red-eyed vireo occupies a large swath of North America:
- In Alaska, it breeds in forests along the southeastern coast.
- In Canada, it can be found breeding from Yukon east throughout all provinces and territories to Newfoundland and Labrador.
- In the western United States, it breeds from Washington and Oregon south through California and Arizona across to western Texas.
- In the eastern United States, its breeding range covers all states from Maine south to northern Florida and as far west as eastern Texas.
Within this broad summer range across the continent, red-eyed vireos occupy deciduous and mixed forests. They are found in both wet and dry woodlands, preferring habitat with mature trees and some understory vegetation.
Migration Range
The red-eyed vireo is a long-distance migrant, wintering entirely in South America after breeding in North America. Its migration route covers much of North America:
- In fall, red-eyed vireos migrate south on a broad front across North America, traveling over land and along coastlines to Central America and northern South America.
- Spring migration brings the birds north up through Central America and Mexico, spreading across the United States to reach breeding grounds in Canada.
- These songbirds often migrate at night and can be found resting and foraging in woodlands and forests during the day along their migration routes.
Winter Range
The full winter range of the red-eyed vireo covers northeastern South America in:
- Venezuela
- Colombia
- Ecuador
- Peru
- Bolivia
- Brazil
- Paraguay
- Argentina
In South America, the red-eyed vireo occupies a variety of wooded habitats including tropical forests, second growth forests, forest edges, and woodland savannas. The Andes Mountains divide the winter range into two main populations on either side.
Habitat Preferences
Within its widespread breeding and wintering ranges across the Americas, the red-eyed vireo shows some specific habitat preferences. Here is more detail on the types of habitat preferred by these songbirds during the year:
Breeding Habitat
During the summer breeding season, the red-eyed vireo occupies both deciduous and mixed forests across North America. Typical habitat includes:
- Deciduous forests with oaks, maples, birches, beeches, aspens, and other hardwood species
- Mixed forests containing both deciduous and coniferous trees
- Older mature forests with tall trees for nesting
- Areas with dense vegetation and some understory shrubs
The red-eyed vireo tends to prefer moist, wet woods but can also be found in drier upland forests. It typically occupies forest interiors rather than edges. Nesting areas usually contain mature, tall trees along with small branches for nest placement.
Migration Habitat
During migration, the red-eyed vireo uses a wider variety of forested habitats across North America:
- Deciduous and mixed forests
- Pine and pine-oak woodlands
- Riparian woodlands along rivers and streams
- Parks and suburban areas with tall trees
Migrants can be found feeding in the upper and mid-levels of treetops in these wooded areas. They may also use adjacent habitats such as orchards, farms, or backyard trees when migrating.
Winter Habitat
The red-eyed vireo winters in a variety of tropical and subtropical habitats in South America such as:
- Tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen forests
- Tropical deciduous forests
- Second growth and edge habitats
- Woodland savannas
- Tree plantations near forest areas
- Mangroves in some coastal regions like the Caribbean
In its winter range, these birds primarily occupy the mid-levels and canopies of forests for foraging and roosting. The red-eyed vireo tends to avoid very dense or open habitats in the winter.
Regional Variation
Across the expansive breeding range of the red-eyed vireo, there is some regional variation in habitat use and migratory patterns:
Western Populations
In western North America from Alaska through the Pacific Coast region, red-eyed vireos tend to occupy more open and drier woodlands along with riparian forests. Conifers like pine, fir and spruce are important habitat components. Western populations migrate south along the Pacific Coast to winter primarily in western Mexico and Central America.
Central Populations
Throughout the central United States and Canadian provinces, this species lives in a variety of deciduous and mixed forests, especially favoring areas with maples, oaks, aspens and other hardwoods. Central populations migrate through the Great Plains and Texas, wintering in southern Mexico, the Caribbean, and northern South America.
Eastern Populations
In eastern North America from the Atlantic Coast through eastern Canada, red-eyed vireos occupy more dense, moist deciduous forests, especially beech-maple woodlands. Eastern breeding birds primarily migrate through Florida and the eastern Caribbean to winter in northern and central South America.
Conservation Status
With an extremely large breeding range and population, the red-eyed vireo is classified as a species of Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Its total global population is estimated at 640 million individual birds. Population trends appear to be stable or slightly declining in some regions.
These songbirds do face threats from habitat loss and degradation on both their breeding and wintering grounds. Extensive deforestation across South America in particular has reduced winter habitat. Predation from cats and collisions with buildings and towers are also mortality factors for migrating and breeding red-eyed vireos. But overall, their very large population size provides resiliency against these threats.
Targeted conservation efforts for the red-eyed vireo focus on habitat protection, sustainable forestry practices, reducing collisions, and public education campaigns. Homeowners can also help by keeping cats indoors and minimizing building collisions through bird-friendly designs. Ensuring both breeding and wintering forests remain intact will be key for the long-term security of red-eyed vireo populations across the Americas.
Summary
The red-eyed vireo is a widespread breeding songbird of North America, migrating annually to wintering grounds in South America. Its breeding habitat extends from Alaska across Canada to Newfoundland and south to Texas and Florida. These vireos prefer mature, moist deciduous and mixed forests with dense undergrowth. During fall and spring migrations, they utilize a variety of forested habitats across North America and the Caribbean region. Winter range covers much of northeastern South America east of the Andes in tropical forests and woodlands. Although some regional populations are in decline, red-eyed vireos remain common across their range. Conservation efforts for this species focus on habitat protection on the breeding and wintering grounds and reducing mortality from predation and collisions during migration.