Eastern Towhee - Pipilo erythrophthalmus

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Emberizidae
Genus: Pipilo

Description

The eastern towhee is about seven inches in length. It has red-brown eyes; long black tail feathers; and a small, pointed black bill. The male eastern towhee has a black head, neck and shoulders; a white chest; and rust-red wings and sides. The female has the same color pattern as the male, but where he is black she is a dark brown. The eastern towhee is also called the rufous-sided towhee.

Range

The eastern towhee breeds from southern Manitoba, Canada east to Quebec, Canada and south to northeastern Texas and the Gulf coast and southern Florida. It winters from Oklahoma, southern Ohio, and New Jersey south to Texas and Florida and occasionally into southern New England.

Habitat

The eastern towhee lives in thickets and at the edges of brushy woodlands.

Diet

The eastern towhee scratches under leaves looking for food. Nuts, seeds, and fruits make up most of its diet. It also eats some insects.

Life Cycle

The female makes a nest of weeds, leaves, bark, and stems on or near the ground in a well-covered area. Sometimes, the male brings materials for the nest. The female lays two to six eggs. The male sometimes brings the female food during incubation. The female incubates the eggs. The chicks hatch in a little under two weeks and both parents feed them. The chicks fledge when they are 10 to 12 days old. The female usually has two broods a year.

Behavior

Eastern towhees have regional accents! An eastern towhee's call varies depending on where it lives. Birds in the east sound nothing like birds in the west.