Tepui Vireo

One of the most widespread and frequently encountered tepui endemics; fairly common to common in suitable forest. Easy to record by voice but, being small and canopy-loving, often heard far more than seen — give clients realistic expectations and work the flocks.

Small, plain greenlet-shaped vireo (formerly placed in Hylophilus). Olive-gray above, washed yellowish-olive below, with a grayer head, pale (whitish to pale) iris and a stout pinkish/pale lower mandible. No wing bars, no strong face pattern — structure and the pale eye/bill plus voice are the give-aways. Note the recent move from Hylophilus to Vireo (2014).

Both tall humid forest and stunted/elfin forest on tepui slopes and isolated outliers; descends remarkably low for a tepui bird — recorded down to about 500 m, ranging up through the foothill and lower montane belt.

Active arboreal foliage-gleaner of mid-story and canopy; gleans insects from leaves and is a regular nucleus member of mixed-species flocks. Pairs or small groups.

Distinctive, persistent two-parted whistled song — a clear whistle with variable inflection, the second note lower-pitched; also gives typical harsh vireo scold/churr notes. Usually heard before seen. Search Xeno-canto and Macaulay Library for 'Tepui Vireo' (eBird/ML code tepgre1).

Lead with the song — teach trainees the two-note whistle first, then pull the bird in or pick it out of a passing canopy flock. It is your bread-and-butter 'guaranteed' tepui endemic, so use it to build client confidence early on the Escalera.