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Thread: Bell's Verio in Southern VA

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    BPN Viewer Tim Gleason's Avatar
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    Default Bell's Verio in Southern VA

    I was on a trail near Roanoke, VA today, and saw a little gray bird with a unique buzzing note. I checked online and found a photo of the Bell's Verio and it looks like what I remember (I didn't have a camera to get a capture). But the documentation shows that it should be well west of Virginia. Any ideas? Any similar species?
    This link, http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bells_Vireo/id looks like what I saw, and the sound clip matches as well. Is the guide outdated?

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    Oh boy, Tim, very difficult to say anything definitive without a picture, as least for me. From the sound recordings I have available to me I would not describe the Bell's Vireo as sounding "buzzing". Although out of it's range, I'm sure the species is on the VA list.

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    According to the range maps, it is not likely to be a Bell's but I think it's possible. The Bell's Vireo's in CA are expanding there range so maybe the same is happening in the east? I would suggest that you probably saw a Warbling Vireo, which would definitely be in VA now. Warbling and Bell's look sort of alike.

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    Unlikely but they have occurred. I believe New Jersey has a record or two. The description of a "unique buzzing note" does not sound good for Bell's to me, though. The Bell's song is very unique, and consists of a sort of fast, wild tumble of scratchy notes. It's actually pretty wild.

    Dan mentioned Warbling Vireo, and I think he may have it right. The voice has a buzzy sound but also has a kind of crazy (though more sing-songy) cadence. If you're not familiar with bird song I could see how the two could easily be confused, especially some time after the observation. I just can't help but note that Warbling Vireo song is used regularly as a background sound in South Park. Kind of funmy (to a bird geek) to see kids bundled up in the snow in Colorado with Warbling Vireo singing in the background.

    Dan: One thing to note about range expansion is that the Bell's Vireo that would be the expected vagrant here is of a different population than the California birds, so I wouldn't infer that something occurring in one population might be happening in the other. They seem pretty independent. Maybe a new species split coming? They've been talking about it for Warbling Vireo for years.

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