The Eastern Towhee is a small sparrow, slightly smaller than an American Robin.
They can be found throughout much of east and central North America, ranging from as far North as southern Canada, all the way down to Florida.
This article will explore some of the most fascinating facts about this noisy songbird. Keep reading to find out more.
1. There are two species of Towhee’s in the United States
Originally, ornithologists initially believed there to be just one species of Towhee in the US: the Rufous-sided Towhee.
Thanks to DNA analysis, there are now two distinct species: the Eastern Towhee and the Spotted Towhee.
Whilst the Eastern Towhee lives in eastern USA, and the Spotted Towhee mostly lives in western USA, there are some areas on The Great Plains where the two species coincide and overlap.
2. Eastern Towhees are ground birds – kind of
Birds are synonymous with flight, right?
Not always.
The Eastern Towhee is a ground forager, and spends much of its time rummaging around in the undergrowth. If you live in the eastern USA, and have brushy, shrubby, or overgrown borders, chances are you’ll have a Towhee, or two.
But just because they’re ground foragers, it doesn’t mean they can’t fly. When singing to communicate, they will fly onto low hanging branches or shrubs.
3. They are a parasites dream
The brown-headed cowbird is a brood parasite. They lay their eggs in the nests of unsuspecting birds.
Many birds can identify the eggs of the cowbird, and take measures to remove them. But not the Eastern Towhee. These birds seemingly do not recognize the eggs of the cowbird and make no effort to remove them.
In some areas cowbirds lay eggs in more than half of all Towhee nests. To make matters worse, cowbirds remove the eggs of the Towhees which makes identifying the swap even harder.
4. Eastern Towhees are not social
It isn’t unusual to see Eastern Towhees on their own.
In fact, they are quite territorial – especially males. Several studies have observed threat displays between Towhees, including tail fanning, tail flicking and wing spreading. They’re trying to make themselves look as big as possible to ward off any potential rivals in the area.
5. They are relatively long-lived
The average lifespan of these birds is between 4 – 6 years in the wild.
The longest recorded Eastern Towhee in the wild was over 9 years old. It was first ringed in California in 1937.
For their size, this is quite an impressive achievement. The American Robin, which is slightly larger than the Towhee, has an average lifespan of just 2 years.
6. Eastern Towhees belong to the sparrow family
They have a thick, triangular, bill which has evolved to efficiently crack open seeds – a characteristic feature of many sparrows.
The Eastern Towhee is approximately 30% larger than a song sparrow.
7. They can flock together
Remember when I said Eastern Towhees aren’t very social? Well, take it with a pinch of salt.
In optimal environmental conditions, Towhees are solitary and territorial.
However, when faced with sub-optimal conditions and freezing weather, Towhees have been observed flocking together.
Towhees also display mobbing behavior. In the presence of a predator, multiple Towhees have been known to attack a single predator. This is most common in the nesting season.
8. Eastern Towhees have a lot of predators
Unfortunately for this sparrow, the Eastern Towhee is quite low down on the food chain.
Besides brood parasites, they also face nest predation from a range of species that target eggs and hatchlings, including bull snakes, western rat snakes, eastern garter snakes and chipmunks.
Mature Towhees are predated on by birds of prey, such as short-eared owls, Cooper’s hawks, and short-tailed hawks.
9. They have a range of anti-predator strategies
Being low on the food chain means that the Eastern Towhee needs to be alert and aware.
We’ve learnt that some Towhees group together and mob predators. But they have more defenses up their sleeves.
To evade predators, Eastern Towhees initiate alarm calls to warn others of danger. This is either in the form of a two-parted, rising chewink, tow-hee alarm call. They also emit a sharp tic when mobbing or fleeing predators.
If a predator is detected whilst a Towhee is foraging in the undergrowth, they will stop and remain motionless for several minutes until the risk has passed.
If a predator is detected close to a nest, the female will cause a diversion by dragging their tail along the ground to mimic an injury. This distraction lures predators away from the nest (hopefully).
10. Safety in numbers? Not always
A recent assessment of the Eastern Towhee suggests there are approximately 29 million mature individuals.
Unfortunately, due to land use management, farming practices and deforestation, the population is declining.
However, the Eastern Towhee is protected under the Migratory Bird Act, prohibiting any form of capture and distribution.
11. Eastern Towhees have important ecological roles
Not only are they an important food source for other vertebrates, including snakes, mammals and other birds, they too are important predators of pest species.
Their diet consists approximately 30% of insects, and the Eastern Towhee is thought to control potentially harmful invertebrate species such as caterpillars, snails and grasshoppers.
A large proportion of their diet is plant matter, and Towhees play an important role in seed dispersion of some plant species.
12. Eastern Towhees are pretty noisy
Although they are relatively common and widespread, the Eastern Towhee is hard to spot.
However, as they look for hiding insects in the leaf litter, they cause quite the stir. Vigorous scratching at leaves and dirt create a lot of noise, for a considerably small bird.
They also have a variety of different calls – some of which are sex specific. Males produce a growl-like call, whereas females make whinny calls. Hatchlings and juveniles have specific calls, often associated with begging behaviors, such as screams and trills.
13. Eastern Towhees love a self-care routine
Preening, stretching, scratching, bathing, sunbathing, and anting are all common self-maintenance behaviors in the Eastern Towhee.
Anting is an unusual phenomenon whereby insects, typically ants, are rubbed onto the feathers of birds. It is unclear as to why Towhees do this, but it could be to remove parasites and clean feathers.
14. Eastern Towhees are sexually dimorphic
Males and females differ from one another. Males are larger and more colorful, especially in the breeding season. Their rounded head and back are black with white streaking on the wings and underbelly. Their sides are a deep rufus color.
15. Eastern Towhees are monogamous
Both male and female Eastern Towhees are seasonally monogamous, staying with the same partner for the duration of the breeding season, which is typically between March – July.
Males begin courtship displays by raising their tail feathers, flapping their wings, and singing specific songs.
Final Thoughts
Eastern Towhees are passerine birds belonging to the same family as sparrows.
For a relatively small bird, they have a surprisingly long lifespan of up to 6 years.
Although they have many predators, including brood parasites, they have a variety of defense mechanisms to protect themselves and their hatchlings.
To attract Eastern Towhees to your garden, keep areas of vegetation wild and untamed. Don’t be afraid to let your weeds and shrubs grow. This provides suitable foraging and hiding spaces for a whole manner of wildlife, not just Towhees!
