Two Warblers of Black and White

I was driving into a local park (Highland Glen Park) the other day when I heard the song of a Black-throated Gray Warbler. It's a buzzy warble that rises from beginning to end.  It's a unique sound for a warbler. I pulled over, pulled out my camera, and waited for the warbler to make its way to my side of the oak tree in which it was foraging. I heard a second Black-throated Gray singing as I was photographing the male below. Females actually have a white throat. I like the touch of yellow between the eye and the bill of Black-throated Gray Warblers. It "pops" from their black masks.

Black-throated Gray Warbler in Highland, UT

Black-throated Gray Warbler in Highland, UT

Black-throated Gray Warbler in Highland, UT

My encounter with this warbler reminded me of a Black-and-white Warbler I found in Gilbert, Arizona about two months ago. Black-throated Gray is to be expected during spring and summer in Utah and other western states. Black-and-white Warblers, on the other hand, are rare in the western states.

Below is the Black-and-white Warbler from Gilbert. This one also is a male. A female would show a white throat. The Black-and-white Warbler lacks the yellow spot between the eye and the bill and has white feathers mixed in with the black throat feathers. It's not as clean looking as the Black-throated Gray and it has a longer, lighter-colored bill. There are also black spots under the base of the tail (undertail coverts) for Black-and-white but not for Black-throated Gray.

Black-and-white Warbler in Gilbert, AZ

Black-and-white Warbler in Gilbert, AZ

Below are comparison images of the two male warblers.