Though fairly common throughout the eastern and south-central U.S. during the warmer months, white-eyed vireos prefer shrubby habitat where they are more often heard than seen. Such areas include abandoned farms, recovering clear-cuts, riparian thickets, mangroves and shrubs along wood borders or in forest clearings.
Remaining close to the ground, this insectivore gleans its prey from leaves and stems, hopping through the dense foliage; it may also consume small berries. When in view, it is easily identified by its white eyes, yellow spectacles and a pair of white wing bars; its back is olive colored, its flanks are pale yellow and its chest and abdomen are white. While this secretive summer resident is not often seen by the casual birder, its loud, varied song is commonly heard in the habitats listed above, especially in late spring.
A shallow cup nest is suspended from forked limbs within the shrubbery; both parents take part in its construction and share feeding duties once the eggs hatch. Unfortunately, white-eyed vireos are frequent victims of brown-headed cowbird parasitism. By late summer, the parents and their young depart for wintering grounds that stretch from the Gulf Coast States to Central America and the Caribbean islands.
