Black-capped Vireo
A bird a day keeps the chaos away
Black-capped Vireo
BLKVIR
Vireo atricapilla
ORDER: Passeriformes
FAMILY: Vireonidae
Rio Grande Valley, Texas, March 2025
Small vireo with distinctive black head and bold white spectacles surrounding a red eye. Otherwise greenish above with white underparts, yellowish sides and two yellow wingbars. Females and immatures slightly duller than adult males. Found in shrubby habitats with oak and juniper, especially on hillsides. Migrates south to Mexico for the winter. Endangered; populations especially threatened by Brown-headed Cowbird nest parasitism.
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Thank you BirdStack Jeff & Jennifer Timmons! I saw your post for the first time yesterday with the "nuthatch" then found you again today & I'm so glad because I kinda agree with your "bird a day keeps the chaos away" - at least for me it did for the brief moments that I do look or listen to the birds anyways. So I went to my Bird app yesterday & today & recorded some birds to identify the beauty of their song! Then I came to read my Substacks & tried to post the following Note (but then I could not find it in My Notes & I had added a bit more encouragement there in an edit after I thought I posted & saved) but it "flew away" I guess: hope you don't mind me sharing it here because you 2 were the 1st 'someones' I Noted : "Someone else shared Birds (app) yesterday so I listened to my other bird app Merlin & recorded quite a few. But today the Bald Eagle is the Bird of the Day. So in honor of the 4th of July (that someone else remarked in a different post that they weren't feeling like celebrating with “others” who are robbing us of the joy of our liberty & freedom - and boy, do I get that) I just needed to remind myself & hopefully some of you to keep the flame burning & defend our democracy! Recall that we are meant to soar like our eagles, not peck & gravel like the chickens (but even chickens need to eat)! {didn’t do this right because I thought it was going to actually share the photo & description, so trying again with the link} "
https://merlinbirds.org/species/baleag
And one of my favorite bible verses (with the surrounding verses in context) found in Isaiah 40:31
"But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint."
I hope that we can soar more like the Eagles & encourage one another "to run (or walk in protest) & not grow weary and find strength from one another to soar like the Eagles above the current -crisis or circumstances. Eagles are known to fly above the storms! We can learn this from them:
"eagles will fly into the storm and use the strong winds to gain altitude. They position their wings to catch the wind and allow themselves to be lifted above the storm's turbulence. Once above the storm, their flight becomes smoother and requires less effort. This allows them to gain a better view of their surroundings." Soar on & thanks Bird Stack for sharing your birds here!
I've been feeding the little purple finches and the sis kinds. Occasionally I get visits from the cardinals. I have 2 little cotton tails who come looking for their carrots and the wild rabbit food I leave out for them. Keeps my mind off of what's going on in our country and in the world.