The Eastern Towhee is a beautiful bird that belongs to the sparrow family. It is also known as Rufous-sided Towhee and Chewink. This bird can be found in eastern North America, from southern Canada to Florida and westward to Texas.
Basic Description
The Eastern Towhee has a distinctive black head, back, wings, and tail with contrasting white belly and reddish-brown sides. The female has similar markings but with a browner tint. They are medium-sized birds, measuring around 7-8 inches in length.
Where To Find This Bird
The Eastern Towhee prefers dense shrubby habitats such as woodland edges, brushy fields, and hedgerows. They can also be found in gardens or parks where there are thick bushes for them to hide under.
Habitat
During breeding season which occurs from April through July this species of bird will make its nest on the ground or very close to it (between 1-3 feet above). In many cases they will build their nests beneath low-hanging branches or heavy vegetation like ivy or poison oak.
Food
Eastern Towhees feed mainly on insects during the summer months while wild fruits become more prevalent food options during the winter when insects are harder to find.They will often scratch around leaves looking for things like beetles or caterpillars however towhees have been known eat seeds from various plants including grapes,sunflowers,safflower,oats,fescue,and wheat among others these birds may take advantage of human-supplied feeders stocked with mealworms ,white millet,suet cakes,in addition other types of small seed mixes .
Cool Facts
-The “tow-hee” call given by males gives this species its name.
-Eastern towhees do not migrate long distances so it’s common for an individual male territory overlap multiple females territories
-Easily recognized even by casual observers due their distinct coloration
-Estimated lifespan of Eastern Towhee is around 7 years in the wild
The Eastern Towhee is a beautiful and unique bird to watch. It’s not always easy to spot but if you listen for its distinctive call, you may be lucky enough to see one darting through the bushes or scratching on leaves looking for food. If you live in an area where these birds are present it’s definitely worth taking some time outside with binoculars or camera as they are fascinating creatures that can be very rewarding to observe!
