Click photo to see complete painting

Black-and-white Warbler

Status Common in summer, very rare in winter. Breeds. It is generally among the earliest warblers to arrive (average 6 May, earliest 29 April). A bird in a Halifax garden on 2 April 1974 (W.J. Mills) and another (with an equally untimely Hooded Warbler and Northern Waterthrush) on Sable Island on 6 April 1984 were abnormally early. In summer it is widespread in deciduous and mixed woods through the province. Migration peaks are evident in late August and early September, but these birds linger routinely to November (average 5 November, latest 5 December). A bird in Halifax on 21 December 1974 was clearly beyond migrating, and individuals coming to feeders at Amherst on 13 January 1972 (E. and C. Desplanque) and in Yarmouth on 28 January 1964 (M. Higby) showed remarkable tenacity.

Description Length: 13-14 cm. Adult males: Upperparts striped black and white, with conspicuous white line down centre of crown bordered with black; cheeks and throat black; upper breast and flanks streaked black and white; lower breast and belly white. Adult female: Similar but some markings lighter, brownish gray instead of black; cheeks and throat grayish white.

Breeding Nest: On the ground, usually at the base of a small tree and well concealed. Composed of grass, dead leaves and other dry vegetable matter and usually lined with soft hairs of various kinds. Eggs: 4; white, speckled with cinnamon-brown of various shades and densities. A nest at North Aylesford, Kings County, examined on 22 June 1945 was hidden at the base of a small birch in an open woodland pasture and contained four practically fresh eggs. One at Black River, Kings County, on 2 June 1922 also was placed at the base of a small birch on the edge of a clearing. It was composed of grass and dry fern fragments, had a lining of deer hair and contained four fresh eggs.

Range Breeds from the central Mackenzie Valley, central Manitoba, north-central Ontario, and Newfoundland, south to the southern United States. Winters from Florida and northern Mexico to northern South America.

Remarks When seen in its natural habitat this bird will likely be creeping actively over logs, under branches and up and down tree trunks, its antics being suggestive of a Nuthatch—because of this characteristic it is not likely to be confused with any other warbler. However, because of the similarity of its colour pattern to that of the Blackpoll Warbler, the novice might mistake one for the other. It should be noted that the Blackpoll Warbler has a solid black crown but this bird has a conspicuous white stripe down the centre of its crown. The Black-and-white Warbler is a bird of the woodlands, occurring in our gardens only during migration.