English and Scientific names:

Black-whiskered Vireo, Vireo altiloquus

Number of individuals: 

One, Adult

Locality: LOUISIANA: 

Cameron

Specific Locality:

SE side of Peveto Woods in live oak grove.

Date(s) when observed:

28 April 2009

Time(s) of day when observed:  

Several times over about 15 minutes starting around 11:45 AM CDST.

Reporting observer and address:

Jay V. Huner
Boyce, LA

Other observers accompanying reporter who also identified the bird(s):

Bill Gover and a visitor from Washington State who first noticed the bird. The fellow from Washington requested that he not be identified.

Other observers who independently identified the bird(s)

None, to our knowledge

Light conditions (position of bird in relation to shade and to direction and amount of light):

Partly cloudy. Sometimes the bird could be seen quite clearly. At other times back light caused problems in picking out field marks. Just had to wait until it moved around.

Optical equipment: 

Zeiss 10 x 40 binoculars.

Distance to bird(s): 

10-30 yards.

Duration of observation:

Probably a full 3 minutes when all observations considered.

Habitat: 

Coastal Forest/Chenier/canopy of live oaks.

Behavior of bird: 

Bird was actively feeding darting back and forth in one oak and then moving to an adjacent oak or, sometimes, moving to a second or third oak beyond the adjacent tree.

Description:

The bird was a red-eye type vireo. In fact there were at least two Red-eyed Vireos in the area and the bird was sometimes in association with it. The bird was the same size as the Red-eyed Vireos but differed in having the definitive black whiskers although they were not always easy to pick out. It did not have a black border above the white supercillium. And it seemed somewhat darker, overall than the Red-eyed Vireos.

Voice:

Silent

Similar species:

Well, Yellow-green is a far out possibility this bird did not have the appropriate yellow was below including the wings. Red-eyed Vireo would be the expected bird but the definitive black whiskers were identified on several occasions by the three observers.

Photographs or tape recordings obtained?

None.

Previous experience with this species: 

I observed a number of Black-whiskered Vireos in the Florida Keys in April 2008.

Identification aids:

National Geographic Field Guide, Sibley's Field Guide, and the Golden Books Birds of North America.

This description is written from: 

What the heck, I did not take time to write down notes. This description is based on memory and input from Bill Gover.

Are you positive of your identification? If not, explain: 

 

Yes.

Reporter: 

Jay V. Huner

Date and time: 

30 April 2009, 5:25 PM