| Scientific Name |  Click photo to enlarge. Photo by David McNicholas. |
||||
| Vireo philadelphicus Cassin - ATBI Database: Specimen Records | |||||
| Common Name | |||||
| Philadelphia Vireo | |||||
| Kingdom | Phylum | Class | Order | Family | |
| Animalia | Chordata | Aves | Passeriformes | Tyrannidae | |
| Animals | Chordates | Birds | Perching Birds | Flycatchers | |
The Philadelphia Vireo is a medium-sized Vireo and breeds farther north than any other vireo species (Cornell Lab of Ornithology 2003). The name given to this species was only due to the first described specimen that was found near Philadelphia (National Wildlife Federation 2005), but it only migrates through Pennsylvania and does not breed there. This species is rarely seen during migration because it does not sing and it arrives in late May when the vegetation is dense (National Wildlife Federation 2005). This species is regularly seen in Tennessee (Tennessee Ornithological Society 2006) and is an uncommon migrant in the Carolinas (Potter et al. 1980).
SPECIES DESCRIPTION
Length: 4 ¾” – 5” (12.07cm – 12.7cm) (Kaufman 2000).
Physical characteristics: Grayish-olive upperparts, with more gray on the crown. This species has a white eyebrow stripe and grayish lores, almost making a stripe through the dark eye. The throat and breast are a pale yellow, with even paler yellow on the rest of the underparts. Sexes are similar in appearance.
Voice: Short, usually two syllable whistles. Similar to the Red-eyed Vireo only with a higher pitch, a sweeter sound, and slower (Farrand 1983).
Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter: Philadelphia Vireo
DISTRIBUTION
 |
Breeding: Southern and eastern Canada, as well as parts of the New England states. Click on the map on the left to see the breeding range as determined by the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS). |
| Map not available. | Winter: Southern parts of Central America. |
 Click maps to enlarge. |
In Park: An occasional migrant (Alsop 2003). The only records of this bird were in 1985 on the Chimney Tops Trail (Park Observations) in fall at Purchase Knob. As this is a late migrant in the spring, it has probably been overlooked. |
NATURAL HISTORY
Breeding habitat
Deciduous and mixed deciduous-coniferous forests (Ehrlich et al. 1988).
Mating system
Monogamous. Courtship displays include males and females trembling wings. The male will swing in flight with upright feathers and a spread tail (Ehrlich et al. 1988).
Nest
The female selects the site and builds the nest. The nest is a cup-shaped and is built 30’- 60’ (9.14m -18.3m) from the ground. The nest is made of birch bark, lichens, grass, forbs, and sticking substance such as webs and cocoons. Like all vireo nests, the nest dangles from a forked twig by the rim (Ehrlich et al. 1988).
Eggs
The eggs are white with brown and/or black spots, being more numerous towards the large end, 0.8” (19 mm). Occasionally, the eggs are almost all white. Usually only four eggs are laid in a clutch (Ehrlich et al. 1988).
Chick development
The male and female share responsibilities for incubation, which takes about 14 days. The chicks are born altricial and fledge in 12-14 days. The male and female also share responsibilities in tending to the young (Ehrlich et al. 1988).
Diet
It feeds primarily on insects which are retrieved either by hovering or standing and taken from plants. It may also catch insects in short aerial flights. This species will also feed on fruits in September, which are also retrieved by hovering or standing and removing them from vegetation (Ehrlich et al. 1988).
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
Like any living species, the Philadelphia Vireo is susceptible to habitat loss especially in breeding territories.
Special Protection Status
Rangewide: None.
Region: None.
In Park: All plants and animals are protected within Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Collection requires a permit, which is usually granted only for research or educational purposes.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Maps
Breeding: Sauer, J. R., J. E. Hines, and J. Fallon. 2005. The North American Breeding Bird Survey, Results and Analysis 1966 - 2005. Version 6.2.2006. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD.
Winter: Sauer, J. R., S. Schwartz, and B. Hoover. 1996. The Christmas Bird Count Home Page. Version 95.1. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD.
In Park: Discover Life in America - All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory. 2007. The ATBI Database. http://tremont22.campus.utk.edu/ATBI_start.cfm, Discover Life in America, Gatlinburg, Tennessee 37738.
Photographs
Photo by David McNicholas.Text
Leslie K. Bilbrey, 2003.
Web page
REFERENCES
Alsop, F. J. 1991. Birds of the Smokies. Great Smoky Mountains Natural History Association. Gatlinburg, TN.
Cornell Lab of Ornithology. 2003. Available at All About Birds: Philadelphia Vireo. Accessed on April 11, 2006.
Ehrlich, P. R., D. S. Dobkin, and D. Wheye. 1988. The Birder’s Handbook: A Field Guide to the Natural History of North American Birds. Simon and Schuster, Inc. New York.
Farrand Jr, J., ed. 1983. The Audubon Society Master Guide to Birding: Volume Three Warblers to Sparrows. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
Kaufman, K. 2000. Birds of North America. Hillstar Editions L. C. New York.
National Wildlife Federation. 2005. Available at eNature: America’s Wildlife Resources. Accessed on April 11, 2006.
North Carolina Natural Heritage Program. 1999. Natural Heritage Program List of the Rare Animals of North Carolina. Division of Parks and Recreation, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Raleigh, NC.
Potter, E. F., J. F. Parnell, and R. P. Teulings. 1980. Birds of the Carolinas. The University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill.
Tennessee Ornithological Society. 2006. Available at The Official Checklist of the Birds of Tennessee. Accessed on April 11, 2006.
Withers, D. I., K. Condict, and R. McCoy. 2004. A Guide to the Rare Animals of Tennessee. Division of Natural Heritage, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.
