Rufous-sided Towhee - Pipilo erythrophthalmus
Description Range Habitat The rufous-sided towhee lives in thickets;
open-canopied forests; and at the edges of brushy woodlands, forests, and swamps. The population of rufous-sided towhees in the northeastern part of its range, including New Hampshire, has been declining over the last 30 years. Scientists believe this is due to forest succession. Forest succession is when open areas are slowly taken over by trees and other plants and eventually turn into forests. The rufous-sided towhee prefers open-canopied, shrubby areas like pine barrens and open areas at the edge of forests, as these areas disappear, the population of the rufous-sided towhee declines. |
DietThe rufous-sided towhee scratches under leaves looking for food. Nuts, seeds and fruits make up most of its diet. It also eats some insects. Lifecycle BehaviorRufous-sided towhees have regional accents! Depending on where they live, the towhee's call will vary. Birds in the east sound nothing like birds in the west. |
The rufous-sided towhee is about seven inches in length. It has red-brown eyes, long black tail feathers and a small pointed black bill. The male rufous-sided 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 rufous-sided towhee is also called the
eastern towhee. 
The rufous-sided towhee breeds from
southern Manitoba, Canada east to Quebec, Canada and south to northeastern Texas and the Gulf coast states and southern Florida. It winters from Oklahoma, southern Ohio and New Jersey south to Texas and Florida and occasionally into southern New England. 
The female makes a nest of weeds, leaves, bark and stems on or near the ground in a well-covered area. Sometimes the males 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.