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Black-and-white Warbler Life History

Habitat

ForestsBlack-and-white Warblers typically use deciduous forests and mixed forests of deciduous trees and conifers. They can be found in many habitats during migration, especially woodlots and forests in riparian settings. On their tropical wintering grounds Black-and-white Warblers use an immense range of habitats, including lawns, gardens, and other urban settings, fruit orchards, shade-coffee plantations, wetlands, mangroves, and all types of forests.Back to top

Food

InsectsBlack-and-white Warblers eat mostly insects. Moth and butterfly larvae form the bulk of their diet during spring migration and throughout the breeding season. Other arthropod prey includes ants, flies, spiders, click and leaf beetles, wood-borers, leafhoppers, and weevils. They also feed on insects attracted to Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker sapwells. Back to top

Nesting

Nest Placement

GroundThe female Black-and-white Warbler selects a well-hidden nesting location at the base of a tree, rock, stump, or fallen log, or under a bush or shrub. Nests are usually built on the ground but occasionally are placed in a cavity atop a tree stump, in a rock crevice, or on a mossy bank up to six feet high.

Nest Description

The round, open cup-shaped nest is constructed from dry leaves, bark strips, grass, and pine needles, reaching just over 5 inches in diameter and 5 inches high. The nest cup, which measures up to 3 inches in diameter and 2.5 inches high, is lined with moss, horsehair, and dried grasses.

Nesting Facts

Clutch Size:4-6 eggs
Number of Broods:1-2 broods
Egg Length:0.6-0.8 in (1.5-1.9 cm)
Egg Width:0.5-0.6 in (1.3-1.4 cm)
Incubation Period:10-12 days
Nestling Period:8-12 days
Egg Description:Creamy white, pale bluish- or greenish-white, with speckles of brown or lavender.
Condition at Hatching:Helpless, with pink skin and dark gray down.
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Behavior

Bark ForagerBlack-and-white Warblers crawl along tree trunks and thick limbs as they probe methodically between bark fibers for grubs and insects. Unlike Brown Creepers, which tend to move up a tree as they feed, or nuthatches, which typically move downward, this warbler moves in every direction. They forage on dead limbs and bark as well as gleaning foliage at the tips of branches. Male Black-and-white Warblers arrive in early spring on their forested breeding grounds and set up territories that they defend aggressively, often singing as they chase off intruders. These defensive displays extend well past the time when such behavior has tapered off for other species. A courting male chases potential mates on his territory, perching nearby and fluttering his wings. Once the pair is established, the female leads her partner to likely nest spots at the base of a tree or fallen log, and takes the lead in constructing the well-camouflaged nest.Back to top

Conservation

Low Concern

Black-and-white Warblers are common, but populations have declined between 1966 and 2019, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey. Partners in Flight estimates the global breeding population at 18 million and rates them 10 out of 20 on the Continental Concern Score, indicating a species of low conservation concern. Black-and-white Warblers are susceptible to persistent organic pesticides used to combat insects as well as fragmentation of forests into smaller and smaller parcels. Like many nocturnal migrants, Black-and-white Warblers are vulnerable to collisions with tall buildings and radio towers.

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Credits

Kricher, John C. (2014). Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia), version 2.0. In The Birds of North America (P. G. Rodewald, editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York, USA.

Lutmerding, J. A. and A. S. Love. (2020). Longevity records of North American birds. Version 2020. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Bird Banding Laboratory 2020.

Partners in Flight. (2020). Avian Conservation Assessment Database, version 2020.

Sauer, J. R., D. K. Niven, J. E. Hines, D. J. Ziolkowski Jr., K. L. Pardieck, J. E. Fallon, and W. A. Link (2019). The North American Breeding Bird Survey, Results and Analysis 1966–2019. Version 2.07.2019. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD, USA.

Sibley, D. A. (2014). The Sibley Guide to Birds, second edition. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, NY, USA.

Stephenson, T. and S. Whittle (2013). The Warbler Guide. Princeton University Press, New Jersey, USA.

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