Greetings All

Though Charlie is quite right, that the most apparent difference between his
peculiar Cassin's Vireo and an eastern Bell's Vireo is structure, there are
other differences.

For a photo that looks somewhat like Charlie's bird, see the pic in Kaufman's
Birds of North America.

Charlie's CAVI was odd for being so dull above (including relatively narrow
wingbars) but having clear yellow (ie, lacking olive) on sides

Anyway, Bell's are smaller more delicate birds than CAVI.

However, there are plumage differences:
the spectacle is different in being less bold in BEVI than in CAVI (not as
white and narrower). Though the bird I saw appeared to have an atypically
complete eyering (that is, rear of spectacle did not appear broken as is true in
most, but not all, BEVI), in CAVI the rear of the spectacle is usually the
thickest part, and appears so in Charlie's photos as well.

Also, the yellow on the sides of eastern BEVI extends throughout the sides,
not just towards the rear, as is seen in Charlie's CAVI. It is also a broader
and brighter swath of yellow.

Finally, the BEVI's upper wingbar was, at times, invisible, something I've
not seen in any CAVI.

Anyway, all moot points, since it seems all vireos have departed

Cheers
Steven Mlodinow
Everett WA


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