Class Aves
Order Songbirds
Family Warblers
Genus Mniotilta

Credit: Larry Bond

North American field guide

Black-and-white Warbler

Mniotilta varia

Explore this bird

Identification

Field notes

13 cm (5") Common in east; rare in west. Mixed Woodlands.

Striped with black and white over most of body including undertail coverts.

Male: black throat and cheeks in breeding; in winter chin is white.

Female: buffy sides and undertail coverts.

Creeps along trunks and branches of trees. Goes down tree trunks like a nuthatch.

Song: a thin "weesee weesee".

Details in the field

Photo gallery

3 photos

Credit: Larry Bond

Credit: Larry Bond

Credit: Kelly Colgan Azar

Watch and learn

Videos

2 videos

Black and white Warbler

Credit: Larry Bond

Black-and-white Warbler in Maine

Credit: Wild Bird and Nature Videos by McElroy Productions

Where it lives

Distribution maps

Source legend · original intervals

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Unshaded in source · does not imply absence

Generic and winter maps may use different intervals.

Bird Advisor Identification rules 2 variants 6 rules

These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.

Black-and-white Warbler (Female)

3 rules

Rule 1 13 criteria confidence 8

What was the sex of the bird ?: Female · Unknown
Were the SIDES STREAKED, SPOTTED or BARRED ?: Yes · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was on the BACK ?: Streaked, mottled, spotted, or barred · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Unknown
What were the EYE markings if any ?: Light STRIPE OVER, BEHIND or THROUGH the eye · Unknown
Was the HEAD striped ?: Yes · Unknown
What was the predominant colour of the HEAD ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Warbler-like · Woodpecker or Tree-clinging bird
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Spring · Summer · Fall
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Northeastern Canada or United States · Southeastern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States

result:36-black-and-white-warbler-female:1:1 Source: 36 Black-and-white Warbler Female, row 1

Rule 2 13 criteria confidence 2

What was the sex of the bird ?: Female · Unknown
Were the SIDES STREAKED, SPOTTED or BARRED ?: Yes · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was on the BACK ?: Streaked, mottled, spotted, or barred · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Unknown
What were the EYE markings if any ?: Light STRIPE OVER, BEHIND or THROUGH the eye · Unknown
Was the HEAD striped ?: Yes · Unknown
What was the predominant colour of the HEAD ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Warbler-like · Woodpecker or Tree-clinging bird
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Spring · Summer · Fall
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southwestern United States

result:36-black-and-white-warbler-female:2:1 Source: 36 Black-and-white Warbler Female, row 2

Rule 3 13 criteria confidence 1

What was the sex of the bird ?: Female · Unknown
Were the SIDES STREAKED, SPOTTED or BARRED ?: Yes · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was on the BACK ?: Streaked, mottled, spotted, or barred · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Unknown
What were the EYE markings if any ?: Light STRIPE OVER, BEHIND or THROUGH the eye · Unknown
Was the HEAD striped ?: Yes · Unknown
What was the predominant colour of the HEAD ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Warbler-like · Woodpecker or Tree-clinging bird
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Winter
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southeastern United States · Southwestern United States

result:36-black-and-white-warbler-female:3:1 Source: 36 Black-and-white Warbler Female, row 3

Black-and-white Warbler (Male)

3 rules

Rule 1 13 criteria confidence 8

What was the sex of the bird ?: Male · Unknown
Were the SIDES STREAKED, SPOTTED or BARRED ?: Yes · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was on the BACK ?: Streaked, mottled, spotted, or barred · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Unknown
What were the EYE markings if any ?: Light STRIPE OVER, BEHIND or THROUGH the eye · Unknown
Was the HEAD striped ?: Yes · Unknown
What was the predominant colour of the HEAD ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Warbler-like · Woodpecker or Tree-clinging bird
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Spring · Summer · Fall
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Northeastern Canada or United States · Southeastern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States

result:34-black-and-white-warbler-male:1:1 Source: 34 Black-and-white Warbler (Male), row 1

Rule 2 13 criteria confidence 2

What was the sex of the bird ?: Male · Unknown
Were the SIDES STREAKED, SPOTTED or BARRED ?: Yes · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was on the BACK ?: Streaked, mottled, spotted, or barred · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Unknown
What were the EYE markings if any ?: Light STRIPE OVER, BEHIND or THROUGH the eye · Unknown
Was the HEAD striped ?: Yes · Unknown
What was the predominant colour of the HEAD ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Warbler-like · Woodpecker or Tree-clinging bird
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Spring · Summer · Fall
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southwestern United States

result:34-black-and-white-warbler-male:2:1 Source: 34 Black-and-white Warbler (Male), row 2

Rule 3 13 criteria confidence 1

What was the sex of the bird ?: Male · Unknown
Were the SIDES STREAKED, SPOTTED or BARRED ?: Yes · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was on the BACK ?: Streaked, mottled, spotted, or barred · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Unknown
What were the EYE markings if any ?: Light STRIPE OVER, BEHIND or THROUGH the eye · Unknown
Was the HEAD striped ?: Yes · Unknown
What was the predominant colour of the HEAD ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Warbler-like · Woodpecker or Tree-clinging bird
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Winter
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southeastern United States · Southwestern United States

result:34-black-and-white-warbler-male:3:1 Source: 34 Black-and-white Warbler (Male), row 3