Black-and-White Warbler

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.

Black-and-white warblers are just as their name suggests—they are black and white. Both sexes have white eyebrows, white belly streaking, black wings with two white wing bars, black tails, black and white streaked backs, streaky under tail coverts, and grey-black legs and feet. While females have a grey cheek and a white-cream-colored throat and flanks, breeding males have a black and white striped throat and black cheek. While first fall females resemble adult females but with less streaking and a more pronounced buffy wash, first fall males share many of the same colors and patterning as adult females. Juveniles are strongly marked but otherwise resemble first-fall individuals.