Black-and-white Warbler

Black-and-white Warbler, male at nest

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Black-and-white Warbler, female

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1. Description
2. Sound
3. Conservation Status
4. Other Names
5. Cool Facts
6. Full detailed species account

Distinctive in both plumage and behavior, the Black-and-white Warbler forages for insects while creeping along the trunks and branches of trees. Common in summer throughout the eastern United States and Canada, it has an unusually extensive winter range that extends from Florida to Venezuela and Colombia.

Description

• Small warbler.
• Black-and-white striped plumage.
• Striped crown.

• Size: 11-13 cm (4-5 in)
• Wingspan: 18-22 cm (7-9 in)
• Weight: 8-15 g (0.28-0.53 ounces)

Sex Differences

Sexes similar, but face and throat are black in male, white in female.

Sound

Song a series of very high, two-syllable phrases, resembling the sound of a squeaky wheel; "wee-see-wee-see-wee-see." Call note is a sharp chip.

Conservation Status

Widespread and abundant.

Other Names

Paruline noir et blanc; Fauvette noire et blanche (French)
Chipe trepador; Reinita trepadora; Verdin trepadora; Mezelilla (Spanish)

Cool Facts

• The Black-and-white Warbler has an unusually long hind toe and claw on each foot. This adaptation allows it to move securely on the surface of tree bark.

• Unusually aggressive for a warbler, the Black-and-white Warbler sometimes attacks and fights Red-breasted Nuthatch, Black-capped Chickadee, Tennessee Warbler, and other species.

Sources used to construct this page:

Kricher, J. C. 1995. Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia). In The Birds of North America, No. 158 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.