# Black-whiskered Vireo

Scientific name: Vireo altiloquus

Bird group: [vireo](https://birdsofpuertorico.com/family/vireo)

Canonical source: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/bird/226/Black-whiskered-Vireo

## Identification

The black-whiskered vireo (Vireo altiloquus) is a small passerine bird, which breeds in southern Florida, USA, and the West Indies as far south as the offshore islands of Venezuela. It is a partial migrant, with northern birds wintering from the Greater Antilles to northern South America. This species has occurred as a rare vagrant to Costa Rica.
This vireo is 14–15 cm in length, has a 25 cm wingspan and weighs 17–19 g. It has thick blue-grey legs and a stout bill.


## Distribution and habitat

The Black-whiskered Vireo occurs in the Southeastern 
United States, northern South 
America, and throughout the 
West Indies (Raffaele and 
others 1998). It is a common 
spring and summer resident 
in Puerto Rico, very abundant 
(March–August) in forested or 
wooded areas on the island 
(Oberle 2018, Raffaele 1989a), 
but uncommon in Vieques 
(Gemmill 2015). It has also 
been reported from Mona and 
Desecheo (Ventosa-Febles and 
others 2005). Most individuals 
migrate to South America for 
the winter, although some 
individuals remain on the island during the non-breeding season. 
This species inhabits forests 
of all types and elevations, 
woodlands, tall undergrowth, 
mangroves, and gardens 
(Raffaele and others 1998). The 
atlas fieldwork yielded a total of 
713 records within 355 hexagons 
or 74 percent of the 479 total 
hexagons (see map). Of the 355 
hexagons where this species 
was found, breeding met the 
atlas definition of confirmed in 
6 percent (20) of the hexagons, 
probable in 59 percent (211), 
and possible in 34 percent (122), 
while the species was observed 
in 1 percent (2) of the hexagons 
but without evidence of breeding 
(see map). Black-whiskered Vireo distribution. The map shows the highest breeding code by hexagon and overlaying the ecological life zones 
in Puerto Rico. Note: percentages may not total 100 due to rounding.      217Black-whiskered Vireo/Julián Chiví

## Breeding

The Black-whiskered Vireo constructs a cup-shaped nest 
made of various plant fibers and 
grasses hanging from the fork of 
a small branch in the canopy of a 
tree from May to June, according 
to previously published reports 
(Raffaele and others 1998). Atlas 
results show that this species 
may breed primarily from March 
to June, with fewer records 
later in the year when most 
vireos have migrated south (see 
chart). Results suggest that the 
Black-whiskered Vireo inhabits all forest types as it breeds 
within the subtropical moist 
forest life zone (59 percent of 
the hexagons), subtropical wet 
forest life zone (23 percent of 
the hexagons), subtropical dry 
forest life zone (17 percent of the 
hexagons), and in one hexagon 
within the subtropical rain forest 
life zone (see table and map).

## Conservation

The Black-whiskered Vireo population trend is unknown, 
and due to its large distribution 
range, it is listed as a species of least concern by the IUCN 
(BirdLife International 2017). 
Locally, this species is not 
listed in any of the threatened 
categories of PRDNER and 
USFWS. In Puerto Rico, the 
Black-whiskered Vireo has a 
protected habitat in land of 
about 13 percent or 1071 km2 of the total area covered by 
the hexagons where evidence 
of breeding was found for this 
species (8420 km2). 

Photo: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/static/images/webp/in_226_Im0.png.webp

Distribution map: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/static/images/webp/in_226_Im1.png.webp

Source note: Text is reproduced from this site's published record. Historical conservation statements and taxonomy have not been independently revalidated. See https://birdsofpuertorico.com/about for source credits and limitations.