Abert's Tohee

 

Description of species: Abert’s Towhee is a very large sparrow. Generally they are 8.3-9.1 inch (21-23 cm) long, have an 11 inch (23 cm) wingspan, and weigh 1.4-1.9 ounces. They have a plain brown head, with a black face, and rusty coloring under their tail. When they are younger they look very similar to the adults, except for their smaller size and faint streaks on their chests.

 

Behavior: The Abert’s Towhee is a ground forager, which means they stay on the ground to find seeds and insects to eat. To forage, they scratch the ground with their feet to turn up any food there might be. Sometimes they will also probe the bark on trees near the bottom.

 

Reproduction: Normally, the Abert’s Towhee will stay bonded with their first mate for their whole life. The nests they build are in low trees or shrubs. They look similar to large open cups made from leaves, bark, and weeds. When they lay eggs, there are usually 1-4 eggs per clutch, The eggs are a light blue color with brown streaks that are more concentrated at the larger end of the egg.

 

Habitat needs: The Abert’s Towhee live along desert streams and rivers. They need cottonwoods and willow woodlands with dense shrubs.

 

Trophic level information: The Abert’s Towhee is affected by cowbird nest parasitism.

 

Habitat map – where is it found?

The Abert’s Towhee is mostly found in Southern Arizona, but can also be found in small parts of Southwest New Mexico and Southeast California.

 

How is the species impacted by development, human activities?

There are some conservation concerns when it comes to the Abert’s Towhee because the areas they inhabit have been taken over by human development. Some have adapted to nest in developed areas throughout Arizona.