Eastern Towhee

Published on Aug 12, 2015

I first knew this bird as the Rufous-sided towhee, but learned it was later reclassified. Whatever its name, the song is unmistakable – “drink your tea-e-e-e.”

Published on Mar 31, 2012

Size & Shape
Towhees are a kind of large sparrow. Look for their thick, triangular, seed-cracking bill as a tip-off they're in the sparrow family. Also notice the chunky body and long, rounded tail.

Color Pattern
Males are striking: bold sooty black above and on the breast, with warm rufous sides and white on the belly. Females have the same pattern, but are rich brown where the males are black.

Behavior
Eastern Towhees spend most of their time on the ground, scratching at leaves using both feet at the same time, in a kind of backwards hop. They spend lots of time concealed beneath thick underbrush. You may see this bird more often when it climbs into shrubs and low trees to sing.

Habitat
Look for Eastern Towhees in brush, tangles, thickets, and along forest edges where there's plenty of leaf litter for the birds to forage in.

Credit, http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Towhee/id

Found at Blacklick Woods Metro Park, March 29, 2012

Uploaded on Oct 30, 2011

Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus; Rødsidetovi) singing. The unmistakably loud and emphatic "drink your tea" song. Typical bird of woodland edges. Westmoreland County, July. Playlists: Birds of Pennsylania and North America. MP4

Uploaded on Mar 22, 2010

Rufous-sided Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) at Rockerfeller State Park, Sleepy Hollow, New York

Published on Mar 9, 2012

This Eastern Towhee came out after a thunderstorm swept through and knocked out the power. To me, it looks like it has an executioner's hood on. Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus).

--- Open Window Videos are videos of a scene that appear and sound as if you are looking out an open window into a landscape. These nature sound videos are meant to played in the background on a screen as if you had an open window. They are best viewed on a flat screen TV on the wall or computer monitor.

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Uploaded on Jul 19, 2010

The Music of Nature proudly presents "Eastern Towhee," a video portrait that features exquisite footage and great sound. The video includes scenes depicting several individuals; note the considerable variation in song. The "classic" song sounds like "drink your teeeee." The call sounds like "tchweee" or "tow-weee".

© 2010 Lang Elliott
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