Quantcast

Green-tailed Towhee

Pipilo chlorurusOrder: PASSERIFORMESFamily: Sparrows (Emberizidae)

Green-tailed Towhee Breeding Male Portrait
  Copyright 2002-2007 Whatbird.com
Click here for licensing information Splitbar

General

Green-tailed Towhee: Large sparrow with olive-green upperparts and pale gray underparts. Crown is rufous, throat is white with black stripes, and bill is gray. Wings and tail are edged with olive-yellow. Sexes are similar. Juvenile is streaked overall with pale gray underparts, brown upperparts, and pale, black-streaked throat.

Range and Habitat

Green-tailed Towhee: Breeds from central Oregon south through mountains to southern California and Great Basin to southeastern New Mexico. Spends winters at lower elevations and south to southern Arizona and central and southern Texas; also migrates to Mexico. Preferred habitats include dry scrublands, primarily scrub oak, mountain mahogany, sagebrush, saltbrush, serviceberry, and pinyon-juniper.

Listen to Call

Voice Text

"swee-too weet chur cheee-churr"

Interesting Facts

 The Green-tailed Towhee is the only entirely migratory towhee. It is also the smallest towhee.

 Their scientific name roughly translates to “colorful chirper,” and their common name attests to the bright yellow-green of their tail.

 A group of towhees are collectively known as a "tangle" and a "teapot" of towhees.



Author

Gary Owen Dick

Splitbar
Range Map for Green-tailed Towhee
.
Bird database and its related content, illustrations and media is Copyright © 2002 - 2007  Whatbird.com
All rights reserved. No part of this web site may be reproduced without written permission from Mitch Waite Group.
 Privacy Policy.
Percevia® Registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.
Family Buntings, Finches, Sparrows (Emberizidae)_blue
Species Pipilo chlorurus
Length7.25 Inches
Wingspan10 Inches

Green-tailed Towhee

Green-tailed Towhee: Large sparrow, olive-green upperparts and pale gray underparts. Crown is rufous, throat is white with black stripes, and bill is gray. Wings and tail are edged with olive-yellow. Rapid bouncy flight, alternates several quick wing beats with wings pulled to sides.

● Song: "swee-too weet chur cheee-churr"

● Foraging & Feeding: Green-tailed Towhee: Feeds primarily on insects; also eats seeds and berries. Forages on the ground by double-scratching under foliage; drinks morning dew from leaves.

● Breeding & nesting: Green-tailed Towhee: Two to five white eggs flecked with brown are laid in a deep, bulky, thick-walled cup nest made of sticks, bark chips, and grass, and lined with hair and fine plant material. Incubation ranges from 11 to 13 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Green-tailed Towhee: Olive Sparrow is smaller and has a brown-striped crown.

Flight Pattern

Alternates several rapid wing beats with wings pulled to sides., Rapid bouncy flight.
Green-tailed Towhee Breeding Male Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Green-tailed Towhee: Breeds from central Oregon south through mountains to southern California and Great Basin to southeastern New Mexico. Spends winters at lower elevations and south to southern Arizona and central and southern Texas; also migrates to Mexico. Preferred habitats include dry scrublands, primarily scrub oak, mountain mahogany, sagebrush, saltbrush, serviceberry, and pinyon-juniper.
BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester
PopulationFairly common
MigrationMigratory
Weight1 Ounces