The black-and-white warbler (Mniotilta varia) 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. This species is a very rare vagrant to western Europe.
Relative to other New World warblers, it is not well studied.
Description
The black-and-white warbler is to in length with a mass of to 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. Breeding males have a black-and-white streaked throat and black cheek, while females have a grey cheek and a white-cream coloured throat and sides. First fall males are very similar to adult females in colour and patterning, while first fall females resemble adult females but with less streaking and a more noticeable buffy wash. Juveniles are heavily spotted, and are similar to first fall individuals otherwise.
This species is long and weighs . The summer male black-and-white warbler is boldly streaked in black and white, and the bird has been described as a flying humbug. Each wing is black with two white wing bars. Female and juvenile plumages are similar, but duller and less streaky than males.
This warbler can be confused with the blackpoll warbler (Setophaga striata). The blackpoll warbler is also black and white in its summer plumage, but has a solid black cap. The black-and-white warbler can also be confused behaviourally with the pine warbler (Setophaga pinus) and yellow-throated warbler (Setophaga dominica).
Taxonomy
Linnaeus described the black-and-white warbler (Mniotilta varia) in 1766. This warbler is a species of New World warbler or wood warbler (family Parulidae), and is the only member of its genus due to its unique foraging adaptations.
It is known to hybridize with the cerulean warbler (Setophaga cerulea) and Blackburnian warbler (Setophaga fusca). The black-and-white warbler is thought to be closely related to the genus Setophaga.
No subspecies are known.
Etymology
The genus name comes from the Ancient Greek , meaning "seaweed", and , "to pluck". Vieillot mistranslated the first word, as "moss". The specific varia is from the Latin , meaning "variegated".
Habitat and distribution
The black-and-white warbler is a migratory species, breeding in North America and wintering in North and South America. It is typically found in deciduous forest in its breeding range, but becomes more of a habitat generalist in the non-breeding season.
Habitat
The black-and-white warbler occupies a broad niche, and is found in a variety of habitats.
In its breeding habitat, it prefers mature forest, but will occupy successional and second growth forest. Preferred forest types include deciduous and mixed forest, and this warbler sometimes occupies swampy forest.
During migration, this species prefers forest to other land cover types and is frequently found in riparian areas.
In its wintering habitat, it can be found in a variety of land cover types, from mangroves to wet, dry, and cloud forest. It occupies both successional and mature forest. It has also been noted to winter in shade coffee plantations and gardens.
Males are territorial in both their summer and winter habitats.
Distribution
The black-and-white warbler breeds in northern and eastern North America. It ranges from the Northwest Territories to the northwest and Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, to North Carolina to the southeast and Texas to the southwest. This species is migratory, wintering in Florida, Central America, the West Indies and northern South America down to Peru. The IUCN estimates the extent of occurrence, or range, to be 11,500,000 km2.
This species occurs as a vagrant in Iceland, Ireland, Faeroes, and the UK.