This Red-eyed Vireo is certainly not a rare bird or a bird of great interest to most people. They aren’t difficult to photograph as their movements are almost lethargic. The biggest challenge is coaxing them down from the canopies of the high, deciduous trees where they like to hang out. If I was to compare this bird to a cartoon character, the Red-eyed Vireo would be Eeyore of Winnie the Pooh fame. Unfortunately, this bird is in serious decline mostly due to Brown-headed Cowbird parasitic nesting and habitat destruction in its wintering grounds in Amazonia. I wrote a few sentences about the cowbird problem here if you’re interested.
This male was courting a female when I rudely intruded. His head is all fluffed up and neck drawn in giving him this big-headed, stubby look. I photographed a few frames previous to this one and the shutter clicking tore his attention away from his amorous intentions temporarily. His very expression seems to say, “Really? Now? Can’t it wait?”
If you’d like to see other images of Red-headed Vireos, check out these links:
Red-headed Vireo Through the Leaves
