Adults are mainly olive-green on the upperparts with white underparts; they have a red iris and a grey crown edged with black. There is a dark blackish line through the eyes and a wide white stripe just above that line. They have thick blue-grey legs and a stout bill. They are yellowish on the flanks and undertail feathers.
Habitat and Distribution
The Red-eyed Vireo 's breeding habitat is open wooded areas across Canada and the eastern and northwestern United States. These birds migrate to South America, where they spend the winter. However those in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia) migrate north as far as Central America.
Red-eyed Vireos glean insects from tree foliage, favouring caterpillars and aphids. They also eat berries, especially before migration. They reach for fruit by hanging upside down.
The nest is a cup in a fork of a tree branch.
Calls and Songs
This bird, not always seen, may sing for long periods of time; it appears to be endlessly repeating the same question and answer.