General

Black-and-white Warbler: Small, black-and-white warbler with a white median head stripe bordered by black. Female and juvenile are similar but have black line to eye, rather than black cheeks and throat. Adult and juvenile females are usually washed with buff on face and flanks.

Range and Habitat

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

Breeding and 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.

Foraging and 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.

Vocalization

Black-and-white Warbler: Song is a lengthy series of thin, squeaky, very high-pitched notes "wee-see" in a series of six to ten phrases. Calls include a dull "chip", "tik", and a doubled "seet-seet" given in flight.

Similar Species

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