BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER

(Mniotilta varia)

eBird gives this description of the Black-and-white Warbler:  Distinctive warbler with diagnostic black-and-white stripes over entire body. Creeps along branches like a nuthatch, searching for insects. Favors areas with large, deciduous trees. Breeding male Blackpoll Warbler is potentially confusing, but note different behavior and face pattern.  All About Birds adds this description:  One of the earliest-arriving migrant warblers, the Black-and-white Warbler’s thin, squeaky song is one of the first signs that spring birding has sprung. This crisply striped bundle of black and white feathers creeps along tree trunks and branches like a nimble nuthatch, probing the bark for insects with its slightly downcurved bill. Though you typically see these birds only in trees, they build their little cup-shaped nests in the leaf litter of forests across central and eastern North America.

I saw my first Black-and-white Warbler on the morning of June 14, 2020, while walking on the Guadalupe River South Trail below Canyon Dam.  I first saw a couple of these small, energetic birds flitting around on a tree by the edge of the river.  I then saw a solitary Black-and-white Warbler take a bath in a small stream that drains into the river.  I was extremely happy to add this little warbler to my life list!

I first spotted a couple of Black-and-white Warblers in some trees next to the Guadalupe River. June 14, 2020.
These energetic little birds did not sit still very long!
Black-and-white Warbler about to take a bath in a stream near the Guadalupe River, June 14, 2020.
Black-and-white Warbler taking a bath. June 14, 2020.

A Little Video I Made of the Black-and-white Warbler Taking a Bath...

Surprised and delighted to see this Black-and-white Warbler on the pecan tree in the back yard on the morning of July 23, 2020.


“Cool Facts” About The Black-and-white Warbler From All About Birds…

  • The Black-and-white Warbler is the only member of the genus Mniotilta. The genus name means “moss-plucking,” a reference to its habit of probing bark and moss for insects.
  • Black-and-white Warblers have an extra-long hind claw and heavier legs than other wood-warblers, which help them hold onto and move around on bark.
  • As warblers go, Black-and-white Warblers are combative: they’ll attack and fight with other species that enter their territory, including Black-capped Chickadees, Red-breasted Nuthatches, and American Redstarts. This aggressive behavior extends to the wintering grounds, where they defend territories and when feeding in mixed flocks will drive other Black-and-white Warblers away.
  • The oldest known Black-and-white Warbler was 11 years, 3 months old—a female that was banded in North Carolina in the 1950s and recovered in Pennsylvania more than a decade later.