The Eastern Towhee is a bird of the undergrowth.
Mike Blevins
Male Eastern Towhee
They scratch loudly for food in overgrown borders and sing their name, “tow-heee,” from the ground or high perches. They are solitary birds, yet will visit the ground around feeders placed in areas with cover.
Female Towhees build the nests and the breeding season for these year-rounds residents is long –resulting in one to three broods per season. (After breeding, higher elevation individuals will come to lower elevations for winter, as will birds from northern latitudes.) The nests are cup-shaped, lined with soft materials and usually located on the ground, sunk into the leaves.
Mike Blevins
Female Eastern Towhee
Fun Fact
The first known description of the Eastern Towhee (previously called a towhee bunting and rufous-sided towhee) was in 1582 by John White on Roanoke Island, North Carolina.
How to Identify an Eastern Towhee
The patterns on this robin-sized species are distinct in that there are no other birds in our area that look similar. The males have a bold black hood and upper parts, warm reddish-brown sides and white bellies; females are chocolate brown where the males are black. They flash large white patches on the corners of their tails when communicating.
Eastern Towhee Habitat
This bird species appreciates yards that never see a rake since they are experts at foraging in leaf litter! In particular, the Eastern Towhee can be seen and heard scratching around the edges amongst the tangle, thickets and underbrush. They use both feet at once and hop backward, revealing morsels of food.
Conservation Note
While a species of relatively low concern, habitat loss continues to challenge this bird.
ABOUT THIS SERIES:
“Birds of the Blue Ridge” showcases frequently seen and rare birds across the southern Appalachian region. For over four decades, Angela Minor has traveled with binoculars and field guides across the continental U.S., Alaska, the Caribbean and seven European countries. She is a contributing editor with BRC magazine and a freelance writer, penning travel and nature feature articles for several regional and national print publications. Angela created and authored the state park birding series for Bird Watcher’s Digest.
Read More by Angela Minor: BlueRidgeCountry.com/AngelaMinor