Black-and-white Warbler

This species is migratory, wintering in Florida, Central America and the West Indies down to Peru. This species is a very rare vagrant to western Europe, mainly to Ireland and Great Britain.

The Black-and-white Warbler is classified as Least Concern. Does not qualify for a more at risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.

The Black-and-white Warbler, Mniotilta varia, is a small New World warbler. It breeds in northern and eastern North America from southern Canada to Florida. Bwwarbler.jpg This species is migratory, wintering in Florida, Central America and the West Indies down to Peru. This species is a very rare vagrant to western Europe, mainly to Ireland and Great Britain. This species is 13 cm long and weighs 11 g. More

Black-and-white Warbler Range MapView dynamic map of eBird sightings Field MarksHelp - * Male at nestPopOutZoom In Male at nest * © Isidor Jeklin / CLO * FemalePopOutZoom In Female * © Bill Dyer / CLO Similar Species - More

Black-and-white Warblers nest on the ground, laying 4-5 eggs in a cup nest. These birds feed on insects and spiders, and unlike other warblers, Black-and-white Warblers forage like a nuthatch, moving up and down tree trunks and along branches. The song is a high see wee-see wee-see wee-see wee-see wee-see, and the call is a hard tick. References - * BirdLife International (2004). Mniotilta varia. 2006. More

The vocalization of the Black-and-white Warbler is described as a thin, high-pitched two syllable squeaky "weesee, weesee, weesee," or "squeaky, squeaky, squeaky," repeated upwards of ten times (Kricher 1995). One of the highest pitched of the wood warblers, the song of the Black-and-white Warbler is described as resembling the sound of a wet rag wiped repeatedly across glass (Bent 1953, Lemon et al. 1983, as cited in Kricher 1995). More

The Black-and-white Warbler lives and breeds in northern and eastern North America, from Canada to Florida. It is a migratory species, and typically spends the winter months in Florida. They breed in woodlands and nest on the ground, and prefer habitats which are considered rather wet. The Black-and-white Warbler feeds mostly on insects and spiders, and has a characteristic breeding call and song. It is relatively small, reaching only 13 cm in length in adulthood. More

True to its name, the Black-and-white Warbler is black and white. This plumage, along with its distinctive habit of creeping along the trunks of trees and large branches like a nuthatch, makes it an easy species to identify. The Black-and-white Warbler has a large distribution nesting from central Canada to the east coast, and south through the eastern United States to eastern Texas. The winter range is very extensive stretching from Florida to northern South America. More

Black-and-white Warbler habitat include large trees for foraging and dense thickets for nest concealment. The widespread Black-and-white Warbler ranges across Canada from Newfoundland to eastern British Columbia and southwest Northwest Territories, and from James Bay south through the eastern United States almost to the Gulf Coast. Once nestlings have fledged, Black-and-white Warblers tend to disperse locally and use a broader range of habitats. More

The Black-and-white Warbler is a Neotropical migrant that spends its winter months in southern Florida, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. It is a boldly striped black and white bird, and is relatively easy to identify because it feeds much like a nuthatch, moving along tree trunks looking for insects. The bird has several adaptations that allow it to grab onto the bark and probe for insects. More

Bent Life History for the Black-and-white Warbler - the common name and sub-species reflect the nomenclature in use at the time the description was written. BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER MNIOTILTA VARIA (Linnaeus) HABITS CONTRIBUTED BY WINSOR MARRETT TYLER The black-and-white warbler is one of the earliest spring warblers to reach its breeding-ground in the Transition Zone. More

The Black-and-white Warbler is the only warbler that regularly creeps along branches and up and down the tree trunks like a nuthatch. It has a boldly striped a head, most of the body, and undertail coverts. This bird is 4.5 inches in length, it is small, active, and eats insects. There are 29 other species of warblers in Maryland. This bird is the only member of the genus Mnitilta, which means “Moss plucking”. More

Black-and-white Warbler is boldly streaked in black and white, and the bird has been described as a flying humbug. There are two white wing bars. Female and juvenile plumages are similar, but duller and less streaked. The breeding habitat is broadleaved or mixed woodland, preferably in wetter areas. Black-and-white Warblers nest on the ground, laying 4-5 eggs in a cup nest. More

The Black-and-white Warbler is a member of the family Parulid family in the avian order of Passeriformes (perching birds). The Black-and-white Warblers scientific name is Mniotilta varia which means “variegated moss- plucker”. The Black-and-white Warbler is a black and white streaked warbler, as it’s name implies, and it is 11 to 13 cm in length. Females are generally smaller than males. The average mass of this warbler is 9 to 15 grams. More

Black-and-White Warblers are common summer residents in the metro Atlanta area. More

Black-and-white Warblers nest on the ground, laying 4-5 eggs in a cup nest. More

reported that the black-and-white warbler was "the most abundant of warblers" during the 1919 spring migration in Polk and Burnett counties. Earliest spring migrants arrive in the Western Upland during the last 5 days of April, reaching the Northern Highland 1-5 May. Peak migration occurs 10-20 May, and nonbreeders depart by 25 May. Fall migration begins in mid-August and birds reach the Western Upland 20-25 August. Peak fall migration occurs 10-20 September, and most have departed by 5 October. More

Profile by Glenn Olsen: The Black-and-white Warbler is not as brightly colored as many other warblers, but the contrast of the black and white makes it distinctive and attractive. At first glance, the color pattern may bring to mind the similarly attractive Blackpoll Warbler. However, upon closer observation, the plumage pattern is quite different, with the male Blackpoll having a solid black crown and prominent white cheek compared to the male Black-and-white’s striped head and crown and dark cheek. More

Hence, many blocks in which Black-and-white Warblers were recorded as possible breeders likely contained nest sites. Distribution image of map of Black and White Warbler range Average Number of Birds/100 stops As an upland forest species that breeds in larger forest tracts, Black-and-white Warblers were primarily associated with the Missouri Ozarks. Scattered locations to the north and west may have constituted breeding localities, but there were only two confirmations of breeding north of the Missouri River. More

The Black-and-white Warbler nests in a variety of deciduous and mixed forest habitats east of the Rocky Mountains, from the northern tree line to the edge of the Gulf coastal plain. It winters from Florida and the Greater Antilles through much of Mexico and Central America to northwestern South America and is one of the more frequent “eastern” warbler vagrants in the West. It breeds in northeastern British Columbia and occurs casually elsewhere in the province. More