Warbling Vireo
Vireos are small, often greenish or grayish woodland songbirds, best known for their persistent, sweetly whistled songs. Arizona hosts several species. The Bell’s Vireo (Vireo bellii) breeds in riparian thickets, while the Gray Vireo (Vireo vicinior) favors arid scrub and juniper hillsides. The Plumbeous Vireo (Vireo plumbeus), nests in pine–oak woodlands of the mountains, and its close relative the Cassin’s Vireo (Vireo cassinii) appears mainly in migration. The Hutton’s Vireo (Vireo huttoni), resembling a small kinglet, is a year-round resident of oak woodlands. Migrants from farther east occasionally appear, including the Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus), a common breeder in riparian forests, and rare strays such as Blue-headed Vireo (Vireo solitarius), Philadelphia Vireo (Vireo philadelphicus), and Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus).
Shrikes, in contrast, are stocky, predatory songbirds with hooked bills, earning them the nickname “butcher birds” for their habit of impaling prey on thorns or barbed wire. Arizona has two species. The Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) is widespread in open desert, grasslands, and agricultural areas year-round. In winter, the larger and paler Northern Shrike (Lanius borealis) is a scarce visitor, mainly in northern Arizona.