NH’s Most Annoying Bird

Chances are that the LOUD AND NEVER ENDING chirping in your back yard isn't a cardinal or a robin. The culprit keeping you from napping is the Red-eyed Vireo.

It will go on FOR HOURS and has been known to carry on like that FOR DAYS. The high pitched and frantic 'Here I am!' and 'Where are you?' with what sounds like 'Hey Hey!' sporadically mixed in.

As far as I can tell, this annoying behavior may have to do with defending their nests as right now their babies are in the 'fledgling' stage and vulnerable to attacks by predators.

If you think about it that way, it is quite comical that those phrases are used as a defense. It almost sounds like something a Joe Pesci character would say in a Scorsese movie.

The thing is, for a little bird screaming 'Here I am!' 10,000 times in a row, you'd think they'd be easy to see.

NO.

I haven't caught more than a fleeting glimpse all year. They hide out high in trees and feed on caterpillars, aphids and flies.

When they get ready to migrate back to South America in the fall, their diet includes berries so they can increase the calories they need to fly the 3,500 mile trek (!?)

The only thing that keeps me from chopping down the entire forest in a fit of rage when these little passerines are peeping away?

I think they sound exactly like The Simpsons character Moe whenever anyone ordered the Million Dollar Birthday Fries at his Family Restaurant.

Other than that, I'm pretty much counting the days until they're headed off to the Equator again.