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Platte River Status: A common migrant and fairly common nesting species. Dates of occurrence from the Mormon Island Crane Meadows, Hall County, extend from 4 May to 1 September. Tout (1947) considered warbling vireo a common summer resident in Lincoln County present 1 May to 28 September. Rosche (1979) recorded warbling vireo in the lower North Platte River Valley during 14 May to 2 September.

Breeding Range: Fairly common and widely distributed across the Platte River Valley physiographic region and on the Eastern Plain; uncommon on the Dissected Plain; uncommon and local on the Western Plain and in the Sandhills.

Breeding Population: The population in 1979-1980 was estimated at 3,460 breeding pairs. Warbling vireo made up about 0.1 % of the total bird numbers in the study area those years.

Habitat: We found the largest mean breeding density in shelterbelt (82.0 pairs/km²) followed by lowland forest (22.0 pairs/km²), residential (4.5 pairs/km²), and river channel island (3.2 pairs/km²). Stewart (1975) described North Dakota breeding habitat of this species as open stands of flood plain and upland forest containing aspen, cottonwood, and American elm. Rising (1974) found moderate densities of warbling vireo in tall cottonwood forests in southwestern Kansas. James (1976) found that open parkland forest was most regularly used by warbling vireo in southern Ontario.

Effect of Habitat Alteration: Warbling vireo has benefited from de-watering of the Platte River system and the subsequent establishment of wooded vegetation within the stream channel. Tout (1947) stated that warbling vireo in Lincoln County, "breeds in towns but is not often found elsewhere", which is suggestive of the positive benefit derived from establishment of residential habitats. The high density of nesting warbling vireo in shelterbelts points to another positive benefit of habitat alteration for this species.

Nesting Data: We have found four nests within the study area. Among the two nests found at the Mormon Island Crane Meadows, adults were incubating nests from 19 June to 3 July. A nest with four eggs was found in a cottonwood tree in L.E. Ray Park, Grand Island, on 1 June 1979. A Lincoln County nest contained four eggs on 12 June. Kansas egg dates are from 1 May to 20 June (Johnsgard 1979).