Laura Erickson's For the Birds

This close relative of the Red-eyed Vireo is found in the Caribbean, making its way to southern Florida where it is restricted to mangroves. A conspicuous and persistent singer, it’s heard much more readily than seen, its song seeming to my ears to be more emphatic with less variation between phrases than a Red-eyed Vireo. Like other vireos, it may sit still, singing from a perch while blending in with the foliage, for a minute or longer before flitting to another perch. Because of the dense foliage of mangroves, even when you find one it can be tricky to photograph because it’s too easy for the camera to focus on leaves that may be just an inch too close or too far.