Species · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

Blue-headed Vireo

Blue-headed Vireo has surged: up 411% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

+411%Since 1968

772Routes

58Years Surveyed

About the Blue-headed Vireo

The Blue-headed Vireo (Vireo solitarius) is a North American member of the Vireos (Vireonidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the forest birds.

Size: 4.5–6 in long (11–15 cm) — a small, deliberate songbird (typical for the family)
Habitat: Woodlands and forest edges, including wooded suburbs and parks.
Diet: Insects and spiders gleaned from foliage and bark, with seeds and berries in season.
Range: Recorded on 772 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 23 states, most concentrated in the Appalachian Mountains.
Family: Vireonidae · Forest birds

Notable Blue-headed Vireo Trends

long arc increasecomputed index

Blue-headed Vireo has surged in surveyed states: up 411% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

Blue-headed Vireo Population Forecast

If the recent trend holds, Blue-headed Vireo is projected to rise about 39% by 2029 — from 0.41 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.58 (95% range 0.42–0.73). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±17.5%, with 80% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.

+39%Change by 2029

0.58Projected 2029 index

0.42–0.7395% range

±17.5%Backtest error

Projection of the recent trend (dashed) with 80/95% bands — a projection, not a prediction. Habitat, climate, and land use are not modeled.

Year	Projected index	95% low	95% high
2025	0.55	0.40	0.70
2026	0.56	0.41	0.71
2027	0.56	0.41	0.72
2028	0.57	0.42	0.72
2029	0.58	0.42	0.73

Where the Blue-headed Vireo Is Detected

BBS routes recording Blue-headed Vireo, sized by most recent count.

Blue-headed Vireo Population Trend by State

Blue-headed Vireo population trend by state.

Alabama	+287%	1990	8
Connecticut	+27%	1974	16
Georgia	+117%	1976	24
Kentucky	+52%	1980	8
Maine	+253%	1968	78
Maryland	17×	1968	11
Massachusetts	+994%	1969	22
Michigan	34×	1976	75
Minnesota	11×	1969	40
New Hampshire	+296%	1968	26
New Jersey	+35%	1992	7
New York	+380%	1968	93
North Carolina	11×	1970	50
North Dakota	insufficient data	n/a	1
Ohio	+41%	1992	11
Pennsylvania	63×	1968	100
Rhode Island	-33%	1979	5
South Carolina	+428%	1987	15
Tennessee	14×	1968	17
Vermont	+804%	1968	25
Virginia	13×	1969	45
West Virginia	23×	1971	48
Wisconsin	+518%	1968	47

Blue-headed Vireo Population Trend by Region

Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.

Blue-headed Vireo population trend by Bird Conservation Region.

Boreal Hardwood Transition	12×	1968	117
Lower Great Lakes / St. Lawrence Plain	+550%	1968	52
Atlantic Northern Forest	+387%	1968	155
Prairie Hardwood Transition	+231%	1972	42
Southeastern Coastal Plain	-32%	1990	10
Appalachian Mountains	19×	1968	284
Piedmont	+136%	1976	66
New England / Mid-Atlantic Coast	+204%	1968	41

Blue-headed Vireo Conservation Status

Our route-weighted index shows it up about 410% since 1968.

Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.