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Black-and-white Warbler
An early Fall migrant at Cape May, they are scarce after early October. This one was notably late in the season and is the only one we saw on our visit. Note the fresh, unworn primaries and secondaries indicating this is a full adult. Immatures show retained worn, brownish juvenile remiges. The solid black cheek patch along with bold black flank streaks indicate a male. The white throat is typical of both males and females in non-breeding (basic) plumage. This common species acts more like a nuthatch than a warbler. Historically they were placed with the Creepers instead of the warblers. The monotypic genus "Mniotilta" means "moss-eater," a reference to their foraging on tree trunks. Genetically they are close to Prothonotary and Swainson's Warblers but, based on plumage I think they are more closely related to zebras.
Location
Cape May Bird Observatory, Cape May, New Jersey, USA.
Date taken
19 October 2022.
Scientific name
Mniotilta varia
WOW what a beauty, one of those birds on the top of my wish list, thanks a million for this super shot.
 
what a striking bird and such strong contrasts; thanks for the informative description, Joseph
 

Media information

Category
North America
Added by
jmorlan
Date added
View count
467
Comment count
6

Image metadata

Device
Canon Canon PowerShot SX70 HS
Aperture
ƒ/5.6
Focal length
183.8 mm
Exposure time
1/1250 second(s)
ISO
800
Filename
Black-and-whiteWarblerIMG_1548.jpg
File size
128.7 KB
Date taken
Wed, 19 October 2022 11:15 AM
Dimensions
1024px x 677px

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