Photo: Wikimedia Commons / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Bell’s Vireo
Vireo bellii
Bell's Vireo (Vireo bellii) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of North America.
Found across 15 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Bell’s Vireo (Vireo bellii) is a member of the Vireonidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 8.5 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Vireonidae Vireos, Greenlets, Shrike-babblers
- Genus Vireo
- Species bellii
Where it lives
South-central, southwestern USA to Nicaragua
Quick facts
- Weight
- 8.5 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Vireonidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Bell’s Vireo is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Bell’s Vireo is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Bell’s Vireo (Vireo bellii) is a member of the Vireonidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Central America & Caribbean and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA sc, sw USA to Nicaragua.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 8.5 g, with a wing length of about 5.6 cm and a tail of around 4.4 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 2.6 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Bell’s Vireo?
The Bell’s Vireo is a very small bird that weighs around 8.5 g.
Where does the Bell’s Vireo live?
The Bell’s Vireo is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA sc, sw USA to Nicaragua, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Bell’s Vireo belong to?
The Bell’s Vireo (Vireo bellii) belongs to the Vireonidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Bell’s Vireo eat?
The Bell’s Vireo is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Bell’s Vireo migrate?
The Bell’s Vireo is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Bell’s Vireo endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Bell’s Vireo make?
1 real field recording of the Bell’s Vireo — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Bell’s Vireo's range?
The Bell’s Vireo has a mapped global range of about 2.6 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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