Life histories of North American wood warblers, Part 1 (of 2)Bent, Arthur Cleveland
Science
Life histories of North American wood warblers, Part 1 (of 2)
Bent, Arthur Cleveland
Birds -- North America; Passeriformes; Wood warblers
"Wintering throughout the length of Central America, from near sea level
up to 9,000 feet and rarely higher, the black-and-white warbler is
somewhat more abundant in that portion of its altitudinal range
comprised between 2,000 or 3,000 and 7,000 or 8,000 feet above sea
level. It is found in the heavy forest, in the more open types of
woodland, among the shade trees of the coffee plantations, and even amid
low second-growth with scattered trees. It creeps along the branches in
exactly the same fashion in its winter as in its summer home. Solitary
in its disposition, two of the kind are almost never seen together. The
only time I have heard this warbler sing in Central America was also one
of the very few occasions when I found two together. Early on the bright
morning of September 1, 1933, when the warblers were arriving from the
north, I heard the black-and-white's weak little song repeated several
times among the trees at the edge of an oak wood, at an altitude of
8,500 feet in the Guatemalan highlands. Looking into the tree tops, I
saw two of these birds together. Apparently they were singing in
rivalry, as red-faced warblers, Kaup's redstarts, yellow warblers, and
other members of the family solitary during the winter months will sing
in the face of another of their kind, at seasons when they are usually
silent. Often such songs lead to a pursuit or even a fight; but I have
never seen black-and-white warblers actually engaged in a conflict in
their winter home.
"Although intolerant of their own kind, the black-and-white warblers are
not entirely hermits; for often a single one will attach itself to a
mixed flock of small birds. In the Guatemalan highlands, during the
winter months, such flocks are composed chiefly of Townsend's warblers;
and each flock, in addition to numbers of the truly gregarious birds,
will contain single representatives of various species of more solitary
disposition, among them often a lone black-and-white, so different in
appearance and habits from any of its associates.
"This warbler arrives and departs early. It has been recorded during the
first week of August in Guatemala, and by the latter part of the month
in Costa Rica and Panamá. In Costa Rica, it appears not to linger beyond
the middle or more rarely the end of March; while for northern Central
America my latest date is April 22.
"Early dates of fall arrival in Central America are: Guatemala--passim
(Griscom), August 3; Sierra de Tecpán, August 23, 1933; Santa María de
Jesús, August 6, 1934; Huehuetenango, August 14, 1934. Honduras--Tela,
August 19, 1930. Costa Rica--San José (Cherrie), August 20; Carrillo
(Carriker), September 1; San Isidro de Coronado, September 8, 1935;
Basin of El General, September 19, 1936; Vara Blanca, September 5, 1937;
Murcia, September 11, 1941. Panamá--Canal Zone (Arbib and Loetscher),
August 24, 1933, and August 29, 1934. Ecuador--Pastaza Valley, below
Baños, October 17, 1939.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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