The Black-throated Gray Warbler is a handsome resident of Arizona’s oak and pinyon woodlands, particularly in foothill and canyon slopes. Its clean black, white, and gray plumage—with a distinctive yellow spot in front of the eye—makes it easy to identify. During spring migration, it can be seen flitting through mesquite and oak trees across southern Arizona. This species forages methodically, gleaning insects and sometimes joining mixed feeding flocks with titmice and nuthatches. Its thin, buzzy song is often described as a hoarse “zee zee zee zoo zee.” Black-throated Gray Warblers breed in mid-elevation forests and are among the more frequently encountered Setophaga warblers in Arizona’s uplands.
