Bills III

The Black and White Warbler (Mniotilta varia) has a very slender bill for foraging for invertebrates amidst the bark and knots of tree.The bird’s hind toes/claws are unusually long, too, for getting a grip on vertical trunks. This one, a female, had just bathed and was grooming. This is not a shy species: I watched her forage for several minutes from very close by, binoculars unnecessary. After devouring something, she swiped her both sides of her bill on a twig to clean it. Insects can be gooey, after all.