Vireos
| Vireos | ||||||||||||
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Rust-browed vireo ( Cyclarhis gujanensis ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Vireonidae | ||||||||||||
| Swainson , 1837 |
The Vireos (Vireonidae) are a family in the order of the passerine birds (Passeriformes), which occurs exclusively in the New World . There are four genera with a total of 43 species.
Vireos are small birds that are often very inconspicuous because of their mostly inconspicuous coloring and behavior. Their singing is very distinctive and is performed by both sexes in spring and summer. Unlike many other songbirds, vireos often sing even during the midday heat. Their size ranges from 10 to 16 centimeters in length with a weight of 8 to 40 grams. The always cup-shaped nests are usually attached to forked branches. The female lays white eggs with different colored spots.
Vireos are distributed from southern Canada via the USA , Mexico , Central America and South America to northern Argentina . Many species are migratory birds that visit the equatorial forests each year from either the north or the south. These birds inhabit a wide range of habitats. They are also found in scrub and mangrove forests, some species prefer the treetops, others the undergrowth. Vireos peck insects and other invertebrates from the leaves. Berries and seeds are also used as food in winter.
The genus Vireo , the actual Vireos, are distributed in 25 species across North, Central and South America. With the exception of the Huttonvireo ( Vireo huttoni ), the 11 species that breed in the USA are migratory birds that visit equatorial forests in winter. The roach vireo ( Vireo olivaceus ) is the most widespread species and migrates to the Amazon region in winter.
The 13 species of the genus Hylophilus are the smallest Vireos and occur exclusively in the tropics of Central and South America.
The remaining two genera are classified into two subfamilies due to their distinctive features:
- The thick-billed Vireos consist of the two species of the genus Cyclarhis . These have particularly heavy beaks, which are similar to those of the shrike .
- The strangler vireos, which consist of the three species of the genus Vireolanius , have the strongest colors of all vireos.
The relationships between the Vireos and other bird families are still unclear. It was previously thought that they could be assigned to the large group of "New World songbirds with nine hand wings", which differs from other songbirds in the absence or reduction of the tenth hand wings. However, recent studies have shown that Vireos do not fit into this group.
So far, one species, the black-headed vireo ( Vireo atricapillus ), is on the ICBP list of threatened birds.
Genera and species (selection)
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Actual Vireos ( Vireo )
- Bartvireo ( Vireo altiloquus )
- Blue-headed vireo ( Vireo solitarius )
- Brown-eyed vireo ( Vireo bellii )
- Brown cap vireo ( Vireo leucophrys )
- Chocovireo ( Vireo masteri )
- Dickschnabelvireo ( Vireo crassirostris )
- Yellow-throated vireo ( Vireo flavifrons )
- Karibenvireo ( Vireo caribaeus )
- Roach vireo ( Vireo olivaceus )
- Warbling vireo ( Vireo gilvus )
- Plain vireo ( Vireo philadelphicus )
- White-eyed vireo ( Vireo griseus )
- Lemon Flank Vireo ( Vireo flavoviridis )
- Great-billed vireos ( Cyclarhis ) Cyclarhis nigrirostris )
- Ash head vireo ( Hylophilus pectoralis )
- Brown-headed vireo ( Hylophilus brunneiceps )
- Braunstirnvireo ( Hylophilus hypoxanthus )
- Bush vireo ( Hylophilus flavipes )
- Fox-headed vireo ( Hylophilus ochraceiceps )
- Yellow-breasted vireo ( Hylophilus thoracicus )
- Goldstirnvireo ( Hylophilus aurantiifrons )
- Gray cap vireo ( Hylophilus decurtatus )
- Graunackenvireo ( Hylophilus semicinereus )
- Rostnackenvireo ( Hylophilus semibrunneus )
- Breast band vireo ( Vireolanius melitophrys )
- Yellow- browed vireo ( Vireolanius eximius )
- Schieferkopfvireo ( Vireolanius leucotis )
literature
- Kenneth C. Parkes, Vireos. In: Joseph Michael Forshaw (ed.), David Kirshner: Encyclopedia of the Animal World: Birds. Translated from the English by Derek Vinyard. Orbis, Hamburg 2003, ISBN 978-3-572-01378-4 , p. 209.
- Brent W. Murray, W. Bruce Mcgillivray, John C. Barlow, Robin N. Beech, Curtis Strobeck: The Use of cytochrome B Sequence Variation in Estimation of Phylogeny in the Vireonidae. The Cooper Ornithological Society 1994 ( PDF ).
