Recently a blogger reported finding a black and white warbler on Liverpool Street in London.  Our fellow blogger was curious as to how rare this sighting was, and what the bird might eat.

       It is possible to see a black and white warbler in Georgia throughout much of the year.  During the Georgia Breeding Bird Atlas Project, black and white warbler breeding was documented throughout the northern half of the state.  Some nesting was also found below the Fall Line.

       The bird breeds throughout eastern North America and a wide swath of Canada.  The birds’ winter in the Southeast as far south as Central America, and the northern portions of South America and the Caribbean.

       However, on rare occasions, black and warblers miraculously show up in Western Europe. The species has been seen at least 14 times in England.  Some British ornithologists suggest that these oceanic flights to England are aided by fast-moving Atlantic storms.

       As it turns out, other North America Warblers, such as the blackburnian, Cape May, magnolia and Canada, have also successfully navigated the long journey across “The Pond.” 

       As you might expect, when one appears it creates quite a stir in the birding world and birders (sometimes called twitchers) flock to see the bird.