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Canyon Towhee

Pipilo fuscusOrder: PASSERIFORMESFamily: Sparrows (Emberizidae)

Breeding Location:

Bushes, shrubs, and thickets, Mountains



Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Solitary nester, Mates for life



Breeding Population:



Egg Color:

Light green or blue with black and brown marks



Number of Eggs:

2 - 6



Incubation Days:

11



Egg Incubator:

Female



Nest Material:

Stems, grass, and sticks., Lined with leaves, bark pieces, and mammal hair.



Migration:

Nonmigratory



Splitbar

Overview

Canyon Towhee: Large sparrow, gray upperparts, pale gray underparts, large central breast spot, and white belly patch. Crown is rust-brown. Tail is long with brown undertail coverts. Legs are pink-brown. Short flights with rapidly beating wing strokes alternating with wings pulled briefly to sides.

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.

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Family Buntings, Finches, Sparrows (Emberizidae)_blue
Species Pipilo fuscus
Length8 Inches
Wingspan11.25 Inches

Canyon Towhee

Canyon Towhee: Large sparrow, gray upperparts, pale gray underparts, large central breast spot, and white belly patch. Crown is rust-brown. Tail is long with brown undertail coverts. Legs are pink-brown. Short flights with rapidly beating wing strokes alternating with wings pulled briefly to sides.

● Song: "chili, chili, chili, chili"

● Foraging & Feeding: Canyon Towhee: Eats seeds and insects. Forages by double-scratching on the ground in soil or leaf litter.

● Breeding & 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.

● Similar species: Canyon Towhee: California Towhee has rust-brown crown and grayer upperparts. Abert's Towhee is buff and has black area around bill.

Flight Pattern

Alternates several rapid wing beats with wings pulled to sides.
Canyon Towhee Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Canyon Towhee: Found in Arizona, New Mexico, West Texas, Colorado and Mexico. Prefers dry hill country and desert canyons.
BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester, Mates for life
Population
MigrationNonmigratory
Weight1.6 Ounces