Date May 26, 2023
Location Jewel Cave National Monument, Custer, SD
There is a short trail surrounding the VC that winds among the Ponderosa pines. I heard a classic vireo song. The pauses in between phrases were longer than Red-eyed; it was very similar to Blue-headed, but more buzzy. I checked some other vireos to be sure, but I thought it was one of the three Blue-headed species (that used to be one species before the split).
I wasn't very familiar with the ranges of the three species, so I consulted my field guide. The obvious possibility was the Plumbeous based on the song and range.
There were a few of them in the trees singing, but it took a while to find one with some help from Mieka. I was able to definitively confirm it: white spectacles, two white wingbars, gray and white overall, and I even caught a slight wash of yellow in the flanks just under the wing!
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