Table
Blue-headed Vireo – Accepted |
|||||
1. 30 Sep 1973 |
HY |
San Nicolas I. VEN |
2003-116 |
29 |
ph., SDNHM 38562 |
2. 24 Sep 1979 |
Pt. Reyes MRN |
2002-070 |
29 |
||
3. 12 Nov 1979 |
Tijuana R. valley SD |
2002-071 |
29 |
||
4. 22 Sep 1980 |
Carpinteria SBA |
2002-072 |
29 |
||
5. 02 Nov 1981 |
Southeast Farallon I. SF |
2002-074 |
29 |
ph. |
|
6. 29 Sep 1985 |
Southeast Farallon I. SF |
2002-076 |
29 |
ph., San Miguel & McGrath (2005) |
|
7. 12–13 Sep 1986 |
Pt. Reyes MRN |
2002-078 |
29 |
||
8. 23 Sep 1986 |
Southeast Farallon I. SF |
2002-079 |
29 |
||
9. 16 Jan–22 Mar 1987 |
Pt. Loma SD |
2002-081 |
29 |
||
10. 10 Oct 1987 |
Pt. Loma SD |
2002-082 |
29 |
||
11. 18 Oct 1987 |
Pt. Loma SD |
2002-083 |
29 |
||
12. 18 Sep 1989 |
Irvine ORA |
2002-100 |
29 |
||
13. 01 Oct 1989 |
Oceano SLO |
2002-084 |
29 |
||
14. 23 Sep 1991 |
Furnace Creek Ranch INY |
2002-085 |
29 |
||
15. 15 Sep 1993 |
Stinson Beach MRN |
2002-087 |
29 |
||
16. 06 Oct 1993 |
Southeast Farallon I. SF |
2002-088 |
29 |
ph., AB 48:159 |
|
17. 09–13 Sep 1995 |
Southeast Farallon I. SF |
2002-091 |
29 |
||
18. 28 Nov 1996 |
San Jose SCL |
2002-093 |
29 |
||
19. 28 Sep 1998 |
HY |
Big Sur R. mouth MTY |
1999-057 |
24 |
ph. |
20. 01 Oct 1998 |
Southeast Farallon I. SF |
1999-011 |
24 |
||
21. 03 Oct 1998 |
Irvine ORA |
2006-040 |
31 |
||
22. 11 Oct 1998 |
HY |
Southeast Farallon I. SF |
1999-012 |
24 |
ph. |
23. 14 Oct 1998 |
Oceano SLO |
1998-157 |
24 |
||
24. 31 Oct 1998–16 Jan 1999 |
Orange ORA |
1999-095 |
24 |
||
25. 12 Sep 1999 |
Big Sur R. mouth MTY |
2002-094 |
29 |
||
26. 14 Sep 1999 |
HY |
Southeast Farallon I. SF |
2000-015 |
25 |
ph. |
27. 13 May 2000 |
Huntington Beach ORA |
2000-081 |
26 |
video |
|
28. 23 Sep 2000 |
Pt. Reyes MRN |
2001-122 |
26 |
||
29. 06 Oct 2000 |
Southeast Farallon I. SF |
2001-027 |
25 |
ph. |
|
30. 11 Feb–08 Apr 2001 |
Oxnard VEN |
2001-054 |
27 |
||
31. 21 Sep 2001 |
HY |
Southeast Farallon I. SF |
2002-014 |
27 |
Figs. 252, 253, ph. |
32. 03–04 Oct 2001 |
Arcata HUM |
2001-165 |
27 |
||
33. 05 Oct 2001 |
Southeast Farallon I. SF |
2002-015 |
30 |
||
34. 22 Oct 2001 |
Galileo Hill KER |
2001-205 |
27 |
||
35. 04 Oct 2003 |
Pt. Loma SD |
2003-127 |
29 |
Fig. 254 |
|
Blue-headed Vireo – Not accepted, identification not established |
|||||
03 Sep 1973 |
Manila HUM |
2002-066 |
29 |
||
26 Sep 1974 |
Pt. Reyes MRN |
2002-068 |
29 |
record lost |
|
20 May 1976 |
vic. Westmorland IMP |
2005-034 |
30 |
||
10–11 Sep 1977 |
Southeast Farallon I. SF |
2002-069 |
30 |
||
26–28 Oct 1982 |
Southeast Farallon I. SF |
2002-075 |
30 |
||
05 Oct 1992 |
Santa Cruz SCZ |
2002-086 |
30 |
||
10 Oct 1993 |
vic. New Brighton State Beach SCZ |
2002-089 |
30 |
||
24 Oct 1994 |
vic. La Selva Beach SCZ |
2002-090 |
30 |
||
05 Sep 1995 |
Mono Lake County Park MNO |
1999-128 |
24 |
||
17 Oct 1996 |
Glen Helen Regional Park SBE |
2002-092 |
30 |
||
09 Sep 1997 |
Lassen Volcanic National Park TEH |
1997-140 |
23 |
||
26–29 Sep 1997 |
San Pedro LA |
1997-142/ 1998-123 |
23 |
||
15–22 Sep 1998 |
Los Osos SLO |
1999-071 |
24 |
||
19 Sep 1998 |
Pt. Reyes MRN |
1998-187 |
24 |
||
20 Oct 1998 |
San Nicolas I. VEN |
1998-216 |
24 |
ph., Erickson & Hamilton (2001) |
|
01 Nov 1998 |
Pilarcitos Creek SM |
1999-047 |
24 |
||
19 Dec 1998 |
Eureka HUM |
1999-116 |
24 |
||
02 Jan 1999 |
Pescadero Creek SM |
1999-087 |
27 |
||
19 Sep 1999 |
Pt. Reyes MRN |
1999-157 |
25 |
||
24 Sep 1999 |
Bodega Bay SON |
2005-166 |
31 |
||
03 Nov 1999 |
Eureka HUM |
1999-215 |
26 |
||
02–03 Jun 2001 |
Galileo Hill KER |
2001-091 |
27 |
||
11 Sep 2001 |
Pt. Loma SD |
2001-214 |
27 |
||
30 Sep 2001 |
Blythe RIV |
2001-224 |
27 |
||
01 Oct 2001 |
Oxnard Plain VEN |
2001-068 |
29 |
||
06 Oct 2001 |
La Jolla SD |
2001-208 |
27 |
||
07 Oct 2001 |
Camarillo VEN |
2001-206 |
29 |
||
19 Sep 2003 |
Blue Jay Campground ORA |
2004-030 |
29 |
||
22 Sep 2003 |
Pt. Loma SD |
2003-121 |
29 |
||
Blue-headed Vireo – In circulation |
|||||
27 Sep 1972 |
Tijuana R. valley SD |
2002-065 |
|||
25–27 Sep 1974 |
Southeast Farallon I. SF |
2002-067 |
|||
07 Jan 1981 |
Santa Barbara SBA |
2002-073 |
|||
06 Oct 1984 |
DeHaven Creek mouth MEN |
2005-020 |
|||
30 Sep–05 Oct 1985 |
Carpinteria SBA |
2002-077 |
|||
11 Oct 1986 |
Little Sur River mouth MTY |
2002-080 |
|||
22 Sep 1990 |
Huntington Beach ORA |
2002-101 |
|||
Blue-headed Vireo – Not submitted/reviewed |
|||||
16 Dec 1972 |
Arcata HUM |
Harris (2006) |
|||
10 Nov 1980 |
Pt. Loma SD |
Unitt (2004) |
|||
04–06 Oct 1984 |
Huntington Beach ORA |
Hamilton & Willick (1996) |
|||
10 Oct 1984 |
Pt. Loma SD |
AB 39:104 |
|||
11 Oct 1986 |
Little Sur R. mouth MTY |
2002-080 |
|
record lost |
|
01 Nov 1986 |
Carpinteria SBA |
AB 40:160 |
|||
15 Jun 1987 |
Fairhaven HUM |
Harris (2006) |
|||
01 Oct 1987 |
Inverness MRN |
AB 42:132 |
|||
01 Oct 1987 |
Pismo Beach SLO |
AB 42:138 |
|||
08 Oct 1987 |
Pt. Reyes MRN |
AB 42:132 |
|||
14 Nov 1987 |
Arcadia LA |
AB 42:138 |
|||
fall 1988 |
2 |
coastal northern California |
AB 43:164 |
||
07–09 Sep 1989 |
Southeast Farallon I. SF |
AB 44:158 |
|||
20 Sep–04 Oct 1989 |
Huntington Beach ORA |
Hamilton & Willick (1996) |
|||
03 Oct 1989 |
Fairhaven HUM |
AB 44:158 |
|||
03 Oct 1989 |
Panamint Springs INY |
AB 44:164 |
|||
07–09 Oct 1989 |
Oxnard VEN |
AB 44:164 |
|||
22–28 Sep 1990 |
Huntington Beach ORA |
Hamilton & Willick (1996) |
|||
12–29 Sep 1991 |
5 |
central coastal California |
AB 46:146 |
||
15 Sep 1991 |
Pt. Loma SD |
Unitt (2004) |
|||
15 Sep 1991 |
Pt. Loma SD |
AB 46:151 |
|||
29 Sep 1991 |
Pt. Loma SD |
AB 46:151 |
|||
17 Jan-? Mar 1992 |
Eureka HUM |
Harris (2006) |
|||
10 Sep–05 Oct 1992 |
2 |
northern coastal California |
AB 47:146 |
||
15 Oct 1992 |
Costa Mesa ORA |
Hamilton & Willick (1996) |
|||
23 Oct 1992 |
California City KER |
AB 47:150 |
|||
16 Nov 1992 |
Muir Beach MRN |
AB 47:146 |
|||
15 Sep–31 Oct 1993 |
10 |
coastal northern California |
AB 48:150 |
||
18 Sep 1993 |
vic. Lodi SJ |
AB 48:150 |
|||
06–10 Oct 1993 |
2 |
Southeast Farallon I. SF |
AB 48:150, see table entry 16 |
||
24 Sep–24 Oct 1994 |
3 |
northern coastal California |
FN 49:98 |
||
28 Sep 1994 |
Newport Beach ORA |
Hamilton & Willick (1996) |
|||
17–18 Dec 1994 |
Arcata HUM |
FN 49:195, 789 (“marginal details”) |
|||
03 Sep 1995 |
northern coastal California |
FN 50:112 |
|||
09 Oct 1995 |
Huntington Beach ORA |
Hamilton & Willick (1996) |
|||
31 Oct 1995 |
Big Sur R. mouth MTY |
Roberson (2002) |
|||
26 Nov 1995 |
northern coastal California |
FN 50:112 |
|||
fall 1996 |
3 |
Southeast Farallon I. SF |
FN 51:116 (“banded”) |
||
24 Sep 1996 |
Big Sur R. mouth MTY |
FN 51:116 |
|||
29 Sep 1996 |
Westhaven HUM |
FN 51:116 |
|||
04–22 Oct 1996 |
Huntington Beach ORA |
FN 51:121 |
|||
07 Oct 1996 |
Pt. Loma SD |
FN 51:121 |
|||
30 Nov 1996 |
Lake Merced SF |
FN 51:116 |
|||
22 Dec 1996 |
Vandenberg Air Force Base SBA |
FN 51:804 |
|||
30 Sep 1997 |
Arroyo Grande SLO |
FN 52:127 |
|||
14–16 Oct 1997 |
vic. Cantil KER |
FN 52:127 |
|||
03 Oct 1998 |
Irvine ORA |
NAB 53:105 |
|||
12 Sep–14 Nov 1999 |
3 |
northern coastal California |
NAB 54:102, see table entries 25, 26 |
||
winter 1999/2000 |
HUM |
NAB 54:218 |
|||
02 Oct 2000 |
Elkhorn Ranch MTY |
NAB 55:99 |
|||
24 May 2001 |
Blue Lake HUM |
Harris (2006) |
|||
22 Sep 2001 |
Bayview Hill SF |
NAB 56:103 |
|||
23 Sep 2001 |
Pt. Reyes MRN |
NAB 56:103 |
|||
30 Sep 2001 |
Pt. Reyes MRN |
NAB 56:103 |
|||
31 Aug 2003 |
Orick HUM |
Harris (2006) |
Figures

Figures 252, 253 (above, below). Two views of a first-fall Blue-headed Vireo at Southeast Farallon Island on 21 September 2001. Bright Cassin’s Vireos can look very similar, and some birds may not be safely distinguishable. Useful marks evident in these photos include the crisp division between gray-blue head and immaculate white throat, bold whitish fringes to the outer rectrices, well-defined white tertial edges, and extensively yellow sides, flanks, and undertail coverts (2002-014; Kristie N. Nelson).

Figure 253.

Figure 254. The CBRC encourages the use of cameras to document review-list birds, but field art is always appreciated by Committee members charged with reviewing hundreds of records each year. This sketch of a Blue-headed Vireo, made on 4 October 2003 at Pt. Loma in San Diego County, shows most of the relevant marks and supports the record with flair (2003-127; Susan E. Smith).
For enlargement, click image.
Blue-headed Vireo
BLUE-HEADED VIREO Vireo solitarius (Wilson, 1810)
Accepted: 35 (55%) |
Treated in Appendix H: yes |
Not accepted: 29 |
CBRC review: all records1 |
Not submitted/reviewed: 77 |
Large color images: see Figures |
With the recognition of three species in the Solitary Vireo complex (Johnson 1995, AOU 1997), the Committee was compelled to review records of the Blue-headed Vireo, a rare vagrant from the East. This species breeds from southeastern Yukon and the southern Northwest Territories east to Newfoundland, and from Minnesota east to New England and southward through the Appalachian Mts. to northeastern Alabama. The wintering grounds extend from the Southeast and Texas south through eastern Mexico to Costa Rica (casually to Panama), and some birds winter in Cuba. The species migrates regularly through the East and casually through the West. Washington claims two early fall vagrants: 6 September 1995 (coastal) and 28 August 2000 (inland). Oregon adds a coastal bird on 4 October 1980 and an inland bird photographed on 25 May 2003. Individuals were photographed in northwestern Baja California Sur on 1 October 2003 (NAB 58:148, 172) and 5 October 2004 (NAB 59:154) and in northeastern Baja California 8–12 March 2006 (NAB 60:289, 315).
California’s first Blue-headed Vireo was a first-fall female (identification confirmed by Allan R. Phillips) collected on 30 September 1973 on San Nicolas Island, Ventura County. This species is a generally late fall migrant in the East, and it winters in the Southeast, life-history traits that are reflected in the species’ incipient patterns of occurrence in California: 31 accepted records are of fall vagrants (9 September–28 November, with only three multi-day records); three are from winter, north to Ventura County; and one is of a singing spring vagrant (13 May 2000 at Huntington Beach, Orange County). See also Appendix H. At Southeast Farallon Island, where most records have not been reviewed by the CBRC, the mean date for 31 fall records is 30 September (Richardson et al. 2003).
Criteria for field identification have only recently been disseminated (see Heindel 1996, Pyle 1997b), and differences between some Blue-headed Vireos and bright Cassin’s Vireos can be subtle. This high potential for confusion may lead either to over- or under-reporting of Blue-headed Vireos in California, and it certainly leads many Committee members to demand impeccable details when considering these records. Most Cassin’s Vireos move through California between late August and October, whereas the earliest Blue-headeds normally do not appear until mid September. The Washington records listed previously are exceptionally early, and both are single-observer sight records. The CBRC is unlikely to accept similarly early reports of this species without diagnostic photos or excruciatingly detailed written descriptions. To mention but one of many intricacies inherent to the Solitary Vireo complex, Cassin’s Vireos resident in the Cape District of Baja California Sur (V. c. lucasanus) resemble Blue-headed Vireos, and their vocal repertoires reportedly include songs typical of both Cassin’s and Blue-headed Vireos (NAB 57:261).
Many Blue-headed Vireo reports have not been submitted (and others have not been accepted) because adequate details do not exist. Still, the CBRC continues to request submissions of any documentation that could serve to support published reports of this taxon.
1Added to the review list in 1997