Black-and-white Warbler

Mniotilta variaOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Wood Warblers (Parulidae)

Codes: Common Name: BAWW Scientific Name: MNIVAR ITIS Taxonomic No.: 178844

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Overview

Black-and-white Warbler: Small, black-and-white striped warbler with a white median head stripe bordered by black. Black bill, legs and feet. It forages unlike any other warbler by moving up and down the trunks of trees and crawling under and over branches in a style similar to that of a nuthatch.

Range and Habitat

Black-and-white Warbler: Breeds from southern Mackenzie, northern Alberta, and central Manitoba east to Newfoundland, and south to southern U.S. east of the Rockies. Spends winters from southern parts of Gulf coast states southward. Preferred habitats include primary and secondary forests, chiefly deciduous. During migration occurs in parks, gardens, and lawn areas with trees and shrubs.

Topo Map: Perching-like Body

Listen to Call

Similar Sounding

Voice Text

"wee-see", "chip", "tik", "seet-seet"

Interesting Facts

The Black-and-white Warbler is the only member of the genus Mnitilta, which means "moss plucking". They have an unusually long hind toe and claw on each foot. This adaptation allows them to move securely on the surface of tree bark.

Unusually aggressive for a warbler, they sometimes attack and fight Red-breasted Nuthatches, Black-capped Chickadees, and other species.

They are known for their habit of creeping around tree trunks and along larger branches in search of insect food in crevices or under the bark; hence its old name, "Black-and-white Creeper." Unlike the Brown Creeper, which only moves up a tree, this species can climb in any direction.

A group of black-and-white warblers are collectively known as a "dichotomy", "distinction", and "integration" of warblers.

Bird Term Glossary

Author

Gary Owen Dick

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Black-and-white Warbler

● Song: "wee-see", "chip", "tik", "seet-seet"

● Foraging & Feeding: Black-and-white Warbler: Feeds on caterpillars, flies, bugs, beetles, borers, spiders, and arthropod egg masses. The only North American warbler to forage regularly on bark; creeps along branches and trunks from the canopy to the ground, picking and probing with its thin bill.

● Breeding & nesting: Black-and-white Warbler: Four to six brown flecked, white to creamy white eggs are laid in a ground nest composed of leaves, grass, and rootlets, and lined with hair and fern down. Nest is set at the base of a tree, stump, or rock. Incubation ranges from 10 to 12 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Black-and-white Warbler: Blackpoll Warbler lacks white behind eye and does not creep along trunks and branches.

Flight Pattern

Weak flight on rapidly beating wings.

Black-and-White Warbler Body Illustration

● Range & Habitat: Black-and-white Warbler: Breeds from southern Mackenzie, northern Alberta, and central Manitoba east to Newfoundland, and south to southern U.S. east of the Rockies. Spends winters from southern parts of Gulf coast states southward. Preferred habitats include primary and secondary forests, chiefly deciduous. During migration occurs in parks, gardens, and lawn areas with trees and shrubs.

^BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester

^PopulationWidespread

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight0.4 Ounces

Perching-like Body

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America