General
Canyon Towhee: Large sparrow with gray upperparts, pale gray underparts, a large central breast spot, and white belly patch. Crown is rust-brown. Tail is long with brown undertail coverts. Sexes are similar.
Range and Habitat
Canyon Towhee: Found in Arizona, New Mexico, West Texas, Colorado and Mexico. Prefers dry hill country and desert canyons.
Breeding and Nesting
Canyon Towhee: Two to six light green or blue eggs with brown and black markings are laid in a cup nest made of stems, grass, and sticks, lined with leaves, bark pieces, and mammal hair, and built in a shrub or tree, usually 3 to 12 feet above the ground. Eggs are incubated for 11 days by the female.
Foraging and Feeding
Canyon Towhee: Eats seeds and insects. Forages by double-scratching on the ground in soil or leaf litter.
Readily Eats
Cracked Corn, Peanuts, Nut Meats
Vocalization
Canyon Towhee: Song is one or two introductory chips followed up by series of accelerating chips, "chili, chili, chili, chili." Call is a nasal slurred "chud-up."
Similar Species
Canyon Towhee: California Towhee has rust-brown crown and grayer upperparts. Abert's Towhee is buff and has black area around bill.