Male: The crown and the dorsal and ventral sides are striped black-and-white. Has a black throat and ear patch. Black eye stripe and lore. Wing coverts tipped white.
Female: Has gray ear patch and a white throat. The ventral side has grayish streaking. Dorsal and crown streaking similar to male.
Immature: Male-like adult female except sides and undertail coverts streaking is more black. Female-The undertail coverts, ear patch, and flanks are buffy colored. For both the tail feathers are tapered.
FOOD: insectivorous, including dormant insects (Ehrlich et al., 1988).
MATING SYSTEM: monogamous (Ehrlich et al., 1988).
BREEDING SYSTEM:
Where Breeds: Breeds in deciduous, mixed woodlands, bog forests.
Nest: The nest is found on the ground, in a hollow, at the base of a tree or shrub, or in a cavity in a stump (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The nest is a cup made out of grasses, dead leaves, bark strips, rootlets, and pine needles (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The nest is lined with finer grasses, rootlets, and hair (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The nest is built by the female (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997).
Breeding Season: The breeding season begins during mid-April to early May and ends mid-July (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The species is single-brooded (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997).
Eggs: There are between 4 and 5 eggs laid in a clutch (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The eggs are short subelliptical to subelliptical in shape and white to creamy-white in background color (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The eggs are speckled reddish-brown to purple which is concentrated at the larger end of the egg (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The average size of an egg is 17 X 13 mm (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997).
Incubation: The incubation period is 11 days and is done by the female (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997).
Nestling: The young are born altricial and downy, with the down being very dark gray in color (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The skin and the mouth are pink and the gape flanges are pale yellow in color (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The young fledge from the nest after 8 to 12 days and are tended by both parents while in the nest (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997).
MIGRATION STATUS IN WISCONSIN:
The black-and-white warbler is a neotropical migrant.
REFERENCES:
Baicicich, P.J. and Harrison, C.J.O. 1997. A Guide to the Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds, 2nd edition. Academic Press: San Diego.
Ehrlich, P.R., Dobkin, D.S., and Wheye, D. 1988. The Birder’s Handbook: A Field Guide to the Natural History of North American Birds. Simon and Schuster, Inc.: New York.
Stokes, D.W. and Stokes, L.Q. 1996. Field Guide to Birds: Eastern Region. Little, Brown and Co.: Boston.
