Plumbeous Vireo
Plumbeous Vireo has surged: up 429% on the route-weighted index since 1969.
About the Plumbeous Vireo
The Plumbeous Vireo (Vireo plumbeus) 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 328 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 12 states, most concentrated in the Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau.
- Family
- Vireonidae · Forest birds
Notable Plumbeous Vireo Trends
No notable trend signals for Plumbeous Vireo. See the full index history below.
Plumbeous Vireo Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Plumbeous Vireo is projected to rise about 73% by 2029 — from 0.17 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.30 (95% range 0.21–0.39). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±59.9%, with 20% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.28 | 0.20 | 0.37 |
| 2026 | 0.29 | 0.20 | 0.37 |
| 2027 | 0.29 | 0.20 | 0.38 |
| 2028 | 0.30 | 0.21 | 0.38 |
| 2029 | 0.30 | 0.21 | 0.39 |
Where the Plumbeous Vireo Is Detected
BBS routes recording Plumbeous Vireo, sized by most recent count.
Plumbeous Vireo Population Trend by State
| Arizona | +46% | 1970 | 36 |
| California | -63% | 1975 | 10 |
| Colorado | +41% | 1971 | 79 |
| Idaho | -88% | 1978 | 15 |
| Montana | -63% | 1984 | 17 |
| Nebraska | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Nevada | -77% | 1993 | 13 |
| New Mexico | +365% | 1970 | 35 |
| South Dakota | +178% | 1969 | 13 |
| Texas | insufficient data | n/a | 5 |
| Utah | +217% | 1972 | 73 |
| Wyoming | -35% | 1977 | 30 |
Plumbeous Vireo Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Great Basin | -52% | 1974 | 40 |
| Northern Rockies | -87% | 1974 | 38 |
| Sierra Nevada | -91% | 1975 | 5 |
| Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau | +76% | 1970 | 165 |
| Badlands and Prairies | +11% | 1969 | 30 |
| Shortgrass Prairie | +1% | 1989 | 8 |
| Sierra Madre Occidental | +55% | 1970 | 27 |
| Chihuahuan Desert | +120% | 1974 | 11 |
Plumbeous Vireo Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 429% since 1969.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.