#towhee

A female towhee working the leaves, looking for yummy bugs hidden below! Not the best footage, but I thought her hopping and shuffling around was charming. Her partner was across the sidewalk from her also digging around, and just after this video he joined her near the base of an oak tree. After that, they flew off, as most birds do!

photograph by Becky Matsubara

Spotted Towhee Mid-Forage

2/11/2024 Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge, California

This peach is mine!!

the eastern towhee is a member of the new world sparrow family found in brushy areas of eastern north america. the name ‘towhee’ is an onomatopoeia for one of the bird’s common two-note calls; they are also known for their song, which sounds like ‘drink your teaaaaa’! males and females are similar, but males have a black head and upper body, which is chestnut brown in the female. they primarily forage on the ground, feeding on a diverse array of fruit, insects, seeds, and even small animals like lizards.

All money goes to The Young Center for Immigrant Rights, supporting unaccompanied immigrant children in the US. Ends Sept. 30.

Towhee, in eastern and spotted versions