Солтүстік Американың Қара-Ақ Торғайы

Species of New World 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. True to their name, black and white warblers are black and white in colour. Both sexes have black and white crowns with a white eyebrow, black streaking on a white belly, black wings with two white wing bars, a black tail, a black and white streaked back, streaky undertail coverts, and grey black legs and feet. Breeding males have a black and white streaked throat and black cheek, while females have a grey cheek and a white cream coloured throat and sides. First fall males are very similar to adult females in colour and patterning, while first fall females resemble adult females but with less streaking and a more noticeable buffy wash. Juveniles are heavily spotted, but are similar to first fall individuals otherwise. Each wing is black with two white wing bars. Female and juvenile plumages are similar, but duller and less streaky than males. This warbler can be confused with the blackpoll warbler (Setophaga striata). The blackpoll warbler is also black and white in its summer plumage, but has a solid black cap. The black and white warbler can also be confused behaviourally with the pine warbler (Setophaga pinus) and yellow throated warbler (Setophaga dominica). This warbler is a species of New World warbler or wood warbler (family Parulidae), and is the only member of its genus due to its unique foraging adaptations. It is known to hybridize with the cerulean warbler (Setophaga cerulea) and Blackburnian warbler (Setophaga fusca). The black and white warbler is thought to be closely related to the genus Setophaga. No subspecies are known.

The black and white warbler is a migratory species, breeding in North America and wintering in North and South America. It is typically found in deciduous forest in its breeding range, but becomes more of a habitat generalist in the non breeding season. Males are territorial in both their summer and winter habitats.

The black and white warbler breeds in northern and eastern North America. It ranges from the Northwest Territories to the northwest and Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, to North Carolina to the southeast and Texas to the southwest. This species is migratory, wintering in Florida, Central America, the West Indies and northern South America down to Peru.

The IUCN classifies the black and white warbler as Least Concern due to its large range and population size. However, its population is decreasing. Pesticides such as fenitrothion and phosphamidon have contributed to the species' decline in the 1970s, and others such as chlorinated hydrocarbons may continue to have an effect. During migration and breeding, this warbler relies heavily on lepidopteran larvae. During migration, the black and white warbler sometimes joins mixed flocks to feed. Black and white warbler nests are sometimes parasitized by the brown headed cowbird (Molothrus ater).