Black-and-white Warbler Identification, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology (2024)

Black-and-white Warbler Photos and Videos

Black-and-white Warbler Identification, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology (1)

Adult male

Small songbird with a thin, slightly curved bill. Striped black and white overall. Males have a black ear patch.

Black-and-white Warbler Identification, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology (2)

Adult female

Females are often paler, with a white throat, a grayish ear patch, and sometimes a wash of buff on the flanks.

Female

Typically forages on trunks and main branches, like a nuthatch. Note black-spotted undertail coverts.

Black-and-white Warbler Identification, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology (4)

Female

Small songbird with a slightly curved bill. Immature and female birds have a whiter throat and a grayish ear patch.

Adult male

Creeps up and down trees and main branches like a nuthatch.

Adult male

Song is a thin whistle that sounds like a squeaky wheel spinning. The other, louder song audible here is a Common Yellowthroat.

Black-and-white Warbler Identification, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology (7)

Adult male

Heavily streaked black and white. Tail is dark with white spots on outer tail feathers.

Black-and-white Warbler Identification, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology (8)

Adult male

Small songbird that is heavily streaked black and white.

Female

White undertail coverts with black spots are a distinctive field mark of Black-and-white Warblers.

Black-and-white Warbler Identification, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology (10)

Adult female

Creeps up and down trees and main branches like a nuthatch.

Adult male

Picks insects from bark of twigs, branches, and tree trunks. Much less likely to forage among leaves than other warblers.

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Compare with Similar Species

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Blackpoll Warbler

Yellow-throated Warbler

Brown Creeper

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The Four Keys to ID

Black-and-white Warblers are medium-sized warblers (small songbirds). They have a fairly long, slightly downcurved bill. The head often appears somewhat flat and streamlined, with a short neck. The wings are long and the tail is short.
Relative Size
About the size of a Black-capped Chickadee; slightly smaller than a White-breasted Nuthatch.
sparrow-sized or smaller
Measurements
Both Sexes
Length: 4.3-5.1 in (11-13 cm)
Weight: 0.3-0.5 oz (8-15 g)
Wingspan: 7.1-8.7 in (18-22 cm)
Color Pattern
Behavior
Habitat

Black-and-white Warbler Identification, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology (2024)

Black-and-white Warbler Photos and Videos

Adult male

Adult female

Female

Female

Adult male

Adult male

Adult male

Adult male

Female

Adult female

Adult male

Compare with Similar Species

Looking for ID Help?

The Four Keys to ID

Relative Size

MeasurementsBoth SexesLength: 4.3-5.1 in (11-13 cm)Weight: 0.3-0.5 oz (8-15 g)Wingspan: 7.1-8.7 in (18-22 cm)

Measurements
Both Sexes
Length: 4.3-5.1 in (11-13 cm)
Weight: 0.3-0.5 oz (8-15 g)
Wingspan: 7.1-8.7 in (18-22 cm)