Black-and-white Warbler

Mniotilta varia

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernInvertebratesForestCup nestTiny · 11 g

What the Black-and-white Warbler sounds like

Sonogram of the Black-and-white Warbler: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Doug Hynes · Song · West Brook Ecological Reserve, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto
Sonogram of the Black-and-white Warbler: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Jonathon Jongsma · Song · Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park, Fillmore County, Minnesota, United States · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto
Sonogram of the Black-and-white Warbler: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Andres Felipe Espinosa · Song · Ibague, Tolima, Colombia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

ID tip

The black-and-white warbler is 11 cm (4.3 in) to 13 cm (5.1 in) in length with a mass of 8 g (0.28 oz) to 15 g (0.53 oz) grams. Wingspan ranges from 7.1 to 8.7 in (18–22 cm). True to their name, black-and-white warblers are black and white in colour. Both sexes have black and white crowns with a white eyebrow, black streaking on a white belly, black wings with two white wing bars, a black tail, a black-and-white streaked back, streaky undertail coverts, and grey-black legs and feet. Voice: The black-and-white warbler has a high-pitched song, described as a repeating wee-see that is repeated at least six times in succession. It has a chip call as well as a seet-seet call that is sometimes given in flight. Its song is a high see wee-see wee-see wee-see wee-see wee-see or weesa weesa weetee weetee weetee weet weet weet. It has two calls, a hard tick and a soft, thin fsss.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Black-and-white Warbler

One bar for each month. Filled bars are the 7 months with records; pale bars are months with none. The wide bar is May, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Black-and-white Warbler

Regular rangeRare visitor

The map shades 38 countries with regular records, and 10 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

Recorded as a rare visitor in United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, France, Norway, Ireland, Martinique, Peru, St. Barthélemy.

About the Black-and-white Warbler

The black-and-white warbler is a species of New World warbler, and the only member of its genus, Mniotilta. It breeds in northern and eastern North America and winters in Florida, Central America, and the West Indies down to Peru. It has been recorded as a vagrant in Northern Europe, especially Britain and Ireland. Relative to other New World warblers, it is not well studied.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Side by side: Black-and-white Warbler vs Northern Parula · Black-and-white Warbler vs Orange-crowned Warbler · Black-and-white Warbler vs Pine Warbler

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