In Texas, animal or plant species of conservation concern may be listed as threatened or endangered under the authority of state law and/or under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Species may be listed as state threatened or endangered and not federally listed. The state list deals only with the status of the species within Texas. A federal listing means that an animal is in decline throughout its entire range which may encompass several other states or nations. This series includes wildlife which may be close to extinction and is comprised of birds, fish, invertebrates, mammals, plants, amphibians and reptiles.
Black-capped Vireo (Vireo atricapilla)
Texas Status: Endangered
U.S. Status: Endangered, Listed 10/06/1987
Description: The tiny black-capped vireo is only 4.5 inches long.
Life History: Black-capped vireos nest in Texas during April through July, and spend the winter on the western coast of Mexico. They build a cup-shaped nest in the fork of a branch 2 to 4 feet above the ground. Nests are usually built in shrubs such as shin oak or sumac. Females lay 3-4 eggs, which hatch in 14-17 days. Both parents incubate the eggs and feed the chicks. Their diet consists of insects. Black-capped vireos have a lifespan of 5-6 years. Males sing to attract mates and defend territories, which are usually 2 to 4 acres in size. Vireos return year after year to the same area to nest.
Habitat: Rangelands with scattered clumps of shrubs separated by open grassland are preferred habitat for the black-capped vireo.
Distribution: Black-capped vireos are found throughout the Edwards Plateau and eastern Trans-Pecos regions of Texas.
Other: Black-capped Vireos are endangered because the low growing woody cover they need for nesting has been cleared or overgrazed by livestock and deer. Also, range fires, which used to keep the land open and the shrubs growing low to the ground, are not as frequent today as in the days before people settled Texas. Another problem is that brown-headed cowbirds lay their eggs in vireo nests, causing the vireos to abandon their nest.
Because this series is quite a distance from my house, maintenance is rather difficult. Log's get wet, containers break, and sometimes caches just flat go missing. If you dont find the cache, and believe it to be gone, or it needs maintenance, please feel free to make it whole again. As a thank you, you may add a second log to any that you do maintenance on. And thanks for the help.