It occasionally can be found as a vagrant to south Florida in the United States.

The subspecies V. c. approximans of Providencia Island is sometimes treated as a subspecies of the mangrove vireo (V. pallens) or as a separate species, the Providencia vireo.

This vireo frequents bushes and shrubs in tropical thickets.

The grass-lined nest is a neat cup shape, attached to a fork in a tree or bush branch.

Its head and back are a greyish olive, and the underparts are buffy white.