Eastern Towhee Guide: Identification, Behavior,ing, and Conservation (2024)

This site is supported by our readers. We may earn a commission, at no cost to you, if you purchase through links.

Ironically named, the Eastern Towhee is hardly easily seen. These birds thrive in thickets and brambles, making identification a challenge. Despite their elusive nature, they can still be pinpointed with their bold black and rust-colored plumage and a distinctive "drink-your-tea" call. This guide provides crystal-clear identification tips, information on diet and nesting habits, as well as insights into their playful behavior and communication. Master the art of appreciating the Eastern Towhee in its natural habitat.

Is the Eastern Towhee Rare?

The Eastern Towhee (Pipilo eryththalmus) isn’t considered rare, but its population in the Northeast is declining due to habitat loss, climate change, and increased disease risk.

Extreme weather and migration disruptions further threaten this ground-foraging bird. Despite these challenges, it remains common in other regions.

Conservation efforts focus on mitigating these threats to maintain stable populations in various habitats, including forests, thickets, and old fields.

Understanding the current situation helps in preserving this species effectively.

What is Special About Eastern Towhee?

While the Eastern Towhee may not be rare, it’s certainly a special bird! Its distinct "drink-your-tea!" song is a true delight, and its oversized sparrow-like appearance with bold black and reddish-brown feathers makes it stand out. The towhee’s noisy rummaging through the leaf litter is a telltale sign of its presence, and its common status as a cowbird victim adds an interesting twist to its nesting behavior. Whether you’re birdwatching or simply enjoying the outdoors, the Eastern Towhee is sure to capture your attention.

• Distinctive "drink-your-tea!" song
• Oversized sparrow-like appearance
• Noisy rummaging in leaf litter
• Common cowbird victim

What Does a Female Eastern Towhee Look Like?

The female Eastern Towhee exhibits distinctive chocolate-b plumage, contrasting with her male counterpart. You’ll notice a white belly stripe and white corners on her tail. Unlike the male’s black upperparts, the female’s brown coloring provides excellent camouflage. Additionally, in Florida, both genders may display a white-eyed form. Here’s a quick comparison:

Feature	Female Eastern Towhee
Plumage	Chocolate-brown
Belly Stripe	White
Tail Corners	White

These adaptions help her in foraging for food and avoiding predators.

Identification

As you’ve learned, the Eastern Towhee is a distinctive bird with its bold black, reddish-brown, and white feathers. To identify this species, look for its large size – around 7-8 1/2 inches long.

The male has black upperparts, while the female is a chocolate-brown color. Both have a white belly stripe and white corners on the tail.

You’ll often spot them foraging on the ground, scratching through leaf litter with their loud, rustling movements. Their classic "chewink" call and bright, musical song are also telltale signs of this charismatic bird.

Food

Eastern Towhees have a varied diet that insects, seeds, and berries, reflecting their adaptable foraging behavior. They scratch through leaf litter on the forest floor, specializing in seed predation and insect consumption. Seasonal availability of food sources influences their diet. Predominant items include caterpillars, ants, beetles, and spiders. In winter, they depend more on seeds and berries.

Season	Primary Diet
Spring	Insects, seeds, berries
Summer	Insects, seeds
Fall	Seeds, berries
Winter	Seeds, berries, insects
Year-Round	Varies with availability

Nesting and Eggs

You’ll find Eastern Towhee nests on the ground in low bushes, skillfully constructed by the female and lined with finer materials. These nests typically contain 3-4 creamy white to pale gray eggs with brown spots.

Nest Placement

Within nest placement, every Eastern Towhee prefers the low bush or on the ground in dense thickets.

They prefer places that give them concealment, especially by shrubs, tall grasses, or piles of brush for the nest location.

The nests are usually constructed 1 – 3 feet off the ground.

In general, their vulnerability often means that nests fall prey to snakes, raccoons, and Brown-headed Cowbirds.

The female gathers nest material, primarily leaves, bark strips, and grasses, and weaves it at leisure to provide both shelter from the elements and support for their eggs and future young.

Nest Description

Eastern Towhees build their nests close to the ground, usually in low bushes or directly on the ground. The nests are primarily constructed by the female, using coarse materials like twigs, leaves, and bark strips. They’re lined with finer materials such as grass and hair, ensuring comfort and safety for the eggs.

These nests are typically cup-shaped, measuring about 3 to 4 inches in diameter. Despite their seemingly fragile appearance, they’re quite durable, often enduring weather conditions to protect the 3-4 creamy white to pale gray, brown-spotted eggs.

Current Situation

The Eastern Towhee is currently facing climate vulnerability threats such as habitat loss, altered food availability, and increased disease risk due to extreme weather events. Despite these challenges, conservation efforts remain important, as Eastern Towhees are common victims of Brown-headed Cowbirds, which jeopardize their reproductive success.

Behavior

The behavior of an Eastern Towhee is characterized by a good balance between ground foraging and scratchy calls. They:

1. Scratch through leaf litter, rustling energetically to uncover insects and seeds.
2. Defend their territory fiercely, with males often taking larger-than-needed areas to ensure dominance.
3. Nest on or near the ground or in low bushes, which makes them highly susceptible to cowbird parasitism. That is, cowbirds lay eggs in towhee nests, and the towhees, unable to distinguish these interlopers from their own, raise the cowbird chicks.

Such behaviors underline unique adaptations and strategies for survival in towhees.

Conservation

Although the Eastern Towhee isn’t yet considered a threatened or endangered species, its populations in the Northeast have been decreasing because of climate change influences, such as habitat loss and changes in food availability.

In addition, the towhees are threatened by the parasitism of Brown-headed Cowbirds, which lay in the towhee nests. The towhees can’t remove or recognize the additional parasitic eggs.

This species urgently needs habitat conservation measures.

On the bright side, their territorial behavior and geographic song variation make them highly interesting to observe. With the right conservation effort, we can ensure the continuity of these charismatic birds in all parts of their range.

Facts

The Eastern Towhee has some fascinating characteristics:

1. Habitat Variety: Found in forests, thickets, old fields, brushy borders, and overgrown yards.
2. Climate Vulnerability: Faces threats like habitat loss, altered food availability, and extreme weather.
3. Brown-Headed Cowbird: Often fall victim to these parasites that lay eggs in their nests.
4. Interbreeding: Known to interbreed with the Spotted Towhee in the Great Plains; males defend territories larger than needed for their needs.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)