Zippy Zebra: The Black-and-white Warbler
This tiny bird barely even weighs half an ounce.
If you saw a flash of black-and-white stripes out in the wild there are two conclusions you’d likely jump to. First, you might think of zebras. Or, if on the high seas and a student of military history, you might think of the dazzle camouflage pattern used on ships in World War I and II. (Okay, most people probably wouldn’t immediately think of that…) But if you see something small and zebra-like hopping on a branch or flying about, chances are you’ve just spotted the Black-and-white Warbler.
This bird is tiny. Although middling in size for a Warbler, it is only 4.3 to 5.1 inches tall and is smaller than the first bird I wrote about, the White-breasted Nuthatch. Funnily enough, the Cornell Lab points out that these birds act similar to Nuthatches in that they forage by moving along trees. Male and female Black-and-white Warblers look the same. However, females can be a bit paler, with their white feathers even more prominent.
The Black-and-white Warbler has a cute, squeaky quality to its calls that make it easy to pick out. These birds search bark for insects, poking at tree trucks and grabbing moss to expose hiding bugs. They are also feisty, aggressively defending their territory and eager to fight off other birds.
The Black-and-white Warbler makes its nest in the ground on forest floors, such as in a bundle of leaves. They also migrate early and are a good way to know that the birds are starting to return from their winter down south.
This bird can be found during the breeding season in a swath of the eastern half of the continental United States, from part of Texas through part of the south and mid-west up along the east coast to Maine. During their migration, the Black-and-white Warbler moves further south to Florida and the Mexican Gulf.
Until next (Bird!) time,
Grover