Overview

Abert's Towhee: Large, stocky, shy sparrow. Distinct black face, pale gray bill, gray-brown upperparts, paler gray-brown underparts, and rust-brown vent. Tail is long and darker than upperparts with rust-brown undertail coverts. Short flights, alternates rapid wing beats with wings pulled to sides. May be difficult to spot because it prefers to stay well-hidden under bushes.

Abert's Towhee: Found primarily in the Colorado and Gila River valleys in Arizona and parts of California, Nevada, Utah, and New Mexico. Generally prefers desert riparian and desert wash habitats. Preferred habitat includes dense vegetation, including thickets of willow, cottonwood, mesquite, and saltcedar; also found in cities or suburbs in exotic plantings.

Listen to Call

Abert's Towhee Voice

chip, chip, chee, chee

The Abert's Towhee makes an interesting sound which is usually five notes chip, chip, chip, chip, chip followed by five notes chee, chee, chee, chee, chee.

Voice Text

"chip, chip, chip, chip, chip, chee, chee, chee, chee, chee"

• The Abert's Towhee has one of the smallest total distributions of any U.S. birds species, making it much sought after by birders who travel to the Southwest desert to observe it.
• They are an inconspicuous bird because they forage in thick undergrowth and rarely fly any great distance.
• They are threatened by cowbird nest parasitism and habitat loss, although some have successfully colonized suburban environments in the Phoenix, Arizona area. They may also be seen on the campus of Arizona State University.
• A group of towhees are collectively known as a "tangle" and a "teapot" of towhees.

• California Towhee
• American Pipit
• Green-tailed Towhee
• Canyon Towhee
• Olive Sparrow

Sparrows (Emberizidae)

ORDER

Most of the small birds such as the finches, gnatcatchers, and sparrows are members of the one hundred and eighteen families found in the largest taxonomic order of birds; the PASSERIFORMES (pronounced pas-ser-i-FOR-meez).

FAMILY TAXONOMY

The sparrows and related birds are placed in the Emberizidae (pronounced ehm-beh-RIH-zih-dee), a group of one hundred and sixty-three species in twenty-six genera found in Eurasia, Africa, and the New World.

NORTH AMERICA

One hundred and fifteen species of sparrows and sparrow-like birds in twenty-three genera are found in North America. In addition to sparrows, the juncos and towhees are also members of this family.

KNOWN FOR

Sparrows, juncos, and towhees are known for their terrestrial behavior, cheery songs, and in the case of sparrows, challenges to their identification due to similarities in appearance of several species. Dark-eyed Juncos and various sparrows are also well known visitors to feeders during the winter months.

PHYSICAL

Members of the Emberizidae are small, plump birds with short, finch-like bills adapted to cracking open seeds. Their wings are generally short and their tails and legs average in length.

COLORATION

Except for small patches of yellow or white on the heads of a few species, bright colors are not a hallmark of this family. Brown, white, and gray plumages with streaked and spotted patterns are commonplace for the primarily dull colored sparrows. However there are exceptions, such as the boldly patterned plumages of black, white, and tan plumages displayed by the juncos, the vibrant black and burnt orange of the towhees, and the rich reddish-brown tones of the longspurs' breeding plumages.

GEOGRAPHIC HABITAT

At least one species of sparrow, junco, or towhee can be found in most every habitat in North America. Most species are birds of weedy fields, scrub, second growth, and non-forest habitats such as desert, grassland, and marsh. The few species adapted to woodlands frequent the thick undergrowth at forest openings and edges.

MIGRATION

Like other short distance migrants, most members of the Emberizidae migrate later in fall, earlier in spring, and often show up at feeders during the winter. Some species, such as the Fox Sparrow, practice "leap frog" migration with more northerly populations migrating further south in the winter.

HABITS

Outside of the breeding season, sparrows and other members of this family flock together for protection from predators. All are generally terrestrial birds that forage on the ground for seeds and arthropods.

CONSERVATION

Sparrows, towhees, and juncos are for the most part common birds with plenty of available habitat. Emberizidae species that have declined and are endangered in many parts of their range are those that require grasslands, such as the Grasshopper and Henslow's Sparrows, and one species, the Bachman's Sparrow, which requires open pine forests with a grassy understory.

INTERESTING FACTS

The Worthen's Sparrow is an enigmatic species historically recorded in the southwestern United States. Rare, little known, and difficult to find in its known Mexican range, this species may be more adapted to grassland habitats that have disappeared or been drastically altered since European settlement. One of the most commonly seen sparrows in the United States, the House Sparrow, is not a member of this family and, as an imported species, is actually more closely related to African weaver finches and European sparrows than North American sparrows.

Author

Artist

Samira Belous