[mou] Red-eyed Vireo )Long)

[Alt, Mark]

I have a new theory as to why the Red-eyed Vireo never shuts up. It is =
because they are perhaps the most territorial of birds, confirmed by =
some behaviors I have observed. I was at a friend's lake home near Stone =
Lake, WI last weekend and spent hours listening to the Vireo's chanting, =
back up music for the late migrating Blackpolls, many Pine Warblers, as =
well as Blackburnian, Bay-breasteds, Redstarts and many that eluded me. =
100 foot red pines serve as well for concealment as they do for feeding =
warbler. It reminded me for Townsend's Warblers in the Douglas Firs of =
Yosemite, a neck breaking exercise in futility. As I was thus postured, =
with a sort of pre-limbo curvature of the back, permitting me to place =
my binos vertical to catch that ball of blue and yellow fluff that just =
flew past, when I heard a scolding call being given just behind me.  I =
thought - Black-capped Chickadee, the call I had heard them use to scold =
Screech Owls or cats or me, a resonant continuous scold, with an =
underlying hum to the quality of the sound. Gnaaahhh gnaaahh gnaaahh =
gnaaahh gnaaahh!  I was surprised to see the source f all that sound was =
Red-eyed Vireos squaring off in the underbrush ten feet away. I wish I =
had my video camera.  The birds were facing each other from 3 feet =
apart; their wings splayed open and tails fanned, their wings vibrating =
while held behind them in to a dihedral.  I brought my binos up and saw =
their beaks were wide open as they emitted this scolding call, both =
birds were participating in the noisemaking and it was very loud.  Most =
birds can erect their head feathers along their crown to seem like a =
crest, but these birds displayed a sloped up crest rivaling that of =
Great Crested Flycatchers. The feathers erected to create a 45=B0 crest =
that rose to a peak about =BD inch above the normal plumage of a =
Red-eyed Vireo. The calls rose in pitch and intensity as one launched =
itself, and the other met it in mid air. Cock-fighting imagery came to =
mind, with the rapidly fluttering wings, the bodies held vertically =
while engaged, the legs were held forward yet were not striking out =
offensively. One bird quickly got an upper position on the other; both =
were locked in combat as they fell furiously fluttering to the ground. =
Much more e aggressive than similar fights I have seen in Robins, these =
birds were striking blows with their beaks while they pummeled each =
other with their wings. It seemed to last only 3 seconds or so until one =
bird proved to be dominant, whereupon its defeated rival retreated =
hastily, flying right past me, flapping furiously to accelerate, the =
victor on its tail. The birds were still calling loudly, with a variant =
of the scolding battle call I had just witnessed, more of chatter, =
almost wren-like. Their fury was surprising, and it was all in all, a =
tremendous expenditure of energy. It was so sever that I feared one =
might kill the other. It was most exciting. The preacher bird protects =
its pulpit, and woe to its rival. Good birding.


Mark Alt
Brooklyn Center, MN