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Abert's Towhee

Pipilo abertiOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Sparrows (Emberizidae)
Codes: Common Name: ABTO Scientific Name: PIPABE ITIS Taxonomic No.: 179307
Least Concern
 
Abert's Towhee_2
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Birdman Mel's Backyard Tips
Jelly Jar Jelly Feeder
The orange "blossum" replaces the lid of a jelly jar.
Attract Orioles with Fruit
Sliced orange secures easily to the center of the ring. Low cost.
Attract with Nectar
Hex shaped nectar feeds several Orioles. Nectar kept in fridge.
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Lovely copper umbrella keeps fruit cool and looks great.

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.

Range and Habitat

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.

Topo Map: Perching-like Body


Listen to Call

Similar Sounding

Voice Text

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

Interesting Facts

 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.


Bird Term Glossary



Author

Crystal Adams

Splitbar
Range Map for Abert's Towhee

Related Birds

California Towhee
American Pipit
Green-tailed Towhee
Canyon Towhee
Olive Sparrow
.
Family Buntings, Finches, Sparrows (Emberizidae)_blue
Species Pipilo aberti
Length9.5 Inches
Wingspan12.5 Inches

Abert's Towhee

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.

● Song: "chip, chip, chip, chip, chip, chee, chee, chee, chee, chee"

● Foraging & Feeding: Abert's Towhee: Eats seeds and insects. Scratches in litter and gleans from the ground and shrubs, often in shade.

● Breeding & nesting: Abert's Towhee: Two to five blue white eggs with dark brown speckles are laid in a nest made of forbs, bark pieces, leaves, and vines lined with dead grass and mammal hair. Nest is built in tree or bush, usually 25 to 30 feet above the ground. Female incubates eggs for about 14 days.

● Similar species: Abert's Towhee: Canyon Towhee inhabits different range, has gray upperparts, face, and sides, chestnut-brown cap, dark breast spot, necklace of dark streaks, pale chin and throat, and white belly. California Towhee is browner overall with paler chin and throat, gray necklace, and pale eye-ring.

Flight Pattern

Alternates several rapid wing beats with wings pulled to sides.
Abert's Towhee Body Illustration_2
● Range & Habitat: 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.
BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester
Population
MigrationNonmigratory
Weight1.7 Ounces
Perching-like BodyX
UnderpartsX
Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.
Undertail covertsX
Small feathers that cover the areas where the retrices (tail feathers) attach to the rump.
UpperpartsX
Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.
FaceX
The front part of the head consisting of the bill, eyes, cheeks and chin.
VentX
Birds do not have two separate cavities for excrement and reproduction like humans do. In birds, there is one single entrance/exit that suits both functions called the vent, cloaca or anus.
RiparianX
Relating to or living or located on the bank of a natural watercourse (as a river) or sometimes of a lake or a tidewater. 
4 and 6 letter alpha codesX

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

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ITIS CodesX

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) was established in the mid-1990�s as a cooperative project among several federal agencies to improve and expand upon taxonomic data (known as the NODC Taxonomic Code) maintained by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

To find the ITIS page for a bird species go to the ITIS web site advanced search and report page at http://www.itis.gov/advanced_search.html. You can enter the TSN or the common name of the bird. It will return the ITIS page for that bird. Another way to obtain the ITIS page is to use the Google search engine. Enter the string ITIS followed by the taxonomic ID, for example "ITIS 178041" will return the page for the Allen's Hummingbird.

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Parts of a Standing birdX
Head Feathers and MarkingsX
Parts of a Flying birdX