[TN-Bird] Blue-headed Vireos (plural) Lewis County
- From: Bill Pulliam <bb551@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: tn bird <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 15 Jul 2010 12:16:41 -0500
The Blue-headed Vireo on territory in the Lewis State Forest in Lewis
County was still present this morning (7/15/10). At one point while
I watched the singing bird at close range, another bird called from
across the road. Apparently there is at least a pair, if not a
family group.
An interesting note -- during the 4+ weeks that I have been following
the singing bird here, its song has shifted into the mid-summer
variant from the more familiar spring song. This late season song is
considerably more similar to a typical Yellow-throated Vireo song
than is the spring song. The last two visits, had I not already
known that there was a Blue-headed in the area, I might have passed
off what I heard as just a slightly unusual Yellow-throated. This is
a common feature of warblers and vireos, that as the breeding season
progresses their vocalizations shift away from what is so familiar
during the spring migration to variants that are much less well known
to most birders. The Willow Flycatchers a couple of miles east of
the vireos, when I last checked on them on June 27th, were primarily
giving the "hrrrrUP" vocalization, probably their least familiar call
to most southern birders (it sounds a bit like a backwards "che-bek";
second note higher pitched). I did not hear a single "fitz-bew" on
that visit.
From the descriptions Scott Somershoe gave of the Blue-headed Vireo
he heard and saw in Cheatham WMA in late May, that bird was also
giving the alternate late-season song. This makes me wonder even
more if this species has been overlooked as a breeder in the Western
Highland Rim. My Lewis County data found 137 Yellow-throated Vireos
to 1 Blue-headed Vireo, so it would be very easy for scattered Blue-
headeds to get lost in the widespread din of the ubiquitous Yellow-
throateds, especially once they shift to their late season alternate
song.
I did get some video of the vireo and its song; I'll post it
somewhere in the near future for those who are curious to hear
exactly what I mean about this late-season song variant.
Bill Pulliam
Hohenwald TN
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