The eastern towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) is a large sparrow found in the eastern and central United States. Known for their characteristic “drink your tea” call, eastern towhees are solitary birds that are often heard before they are seen as they rummage through leaf litter searching for food. Though shy, towhees exhibit unique and interesting behaviors that reveal insights into their personality.
Natural History
Eastern towhees are members of the sparrow family Emberizidae, which includes over 100 species worldwide including juncos, longspurs and buntings. There are four subspecies of the eastern towhee which occupy different ranges across eastern and central North America:
Subspecies | Range |
---|---|
P. e. erythrophthalmus | Eastern USA and southeastern Canada |
P. e. canaster | South-central USA |
P. e. rileyi | Southwestern USA |
P. e. maculatus | Central USA |
Eastern towhees inhabit the understory of forest edges, thickets, and brushy areas often near fields and open spaces. They breed across eastern North America and populations in northern parts of their range migrate south for the winter while southern populations may remain year-round residents.
Eastern towhees have distinctive black and rufous coloring with a black hood and back, rufous sides, and white belly. Their most unique feature is their bright red eyes. Males and females have similar plumage though females tend to be less brightly colored. Juveniles have brown eyes until their first fall when eye color changes to red.
Diet
Eastern towhees spend most of their time on or near the ground searching for food by scratching backwards with both feet to uncover insects, spiders, snails, seeds, fruits, and other food items hidden in leaf litter and soil. Their diet consists predominantly of plant matter including seeds, acorns, fruits, and buds, as well as green vegetation. They supplement this with protein from insects, snails and other invertebrates. Towhees have also been known to visit bird feeders for offerings of seed and suet.
Breeding
Eastern towhees form breeding pairs during spring and breed between April and July, with timing varying across their range. The female builds a nest low in a bush or sapling constructed from leaves, bark, stems and grass. She lays 3-5 eggs which she incubates for 12-14 days while the male feeds her. Both parents feed the young which leave the nest at 10-11 days old but remain dependent on the parents for 2-3 weeks. Towhees often raise two broods per year. Males are territorial and defend their territory against intruders.
Vocalizations
Eastern towhees get their name from their most common vocalization, a sharp “drink your tea” call. The first note is loud and buzzy followed by a trilling warble. They use this call year-round to advertise territory and stay in contact with their mate. Males sing a simple song of distinct musical notes that speeds up towards the end. Other common sounds include a cat-like “mew”, a “chewink” alarm call, and a choking sound when disturbed.
Behavior and Personality
Though eastern towhees lead mostly solitary lives, their behaviors provide some insights into their personality:
Secretive but Curious
Eastern towhees spend much of their time hopping along the ground searching for food in dense underbrush. They are notoriously secretive birds that will freeze or dart away when approached. However, they may perch in more open areas such as low branches to sing and call, displaying curiosity about their surroundings when they feel less threatened.
Skittish and Shy
Towhees are easily startled by loud noises or movements. Their first instinct when encountering a potential threat is to sit very still to avoid detection and then rapidly take flight to escape danger. They appear perpetually nervous, though their curiosity can overcome their shyness at times.
Persistent and Methodical
When foraging, eastern towhees exhibit persistence as they deliberately turn over leaves to uncover food. They use a consistent backward-scratching technique which reveals their methodical approach. Towhees will scratch an area thoroughly before moving systematically to the next spot to increase their foraging efficiency.
Resourceful and Opportunistic
Towhees take advantage of a wide variety of natural food sources from seeds and fruits to insects and snails. They are also willing to come to bird feeders to supplement their natural diet. Their diverse palate and willingness to adapt to take advantage of available food sources demonstrates their resourcefulness.
Aggressive Defenders
Male eastern towhees are fiercely protective of their territory, especially during breeding season. They will chase away or fight encroaching males using aggressive wing-flashes and tail-fans along with their sharp beak and feet. Their aggressive defense reflects a strong territorial instinct.
Attentive Parents
Both the female and male towhee play active roles in raising young. They build a sturdy nest, incubate the eggs attentively, and diligently feed the nestlings until they fledge. Towhees may also care for their young for 2-3 weeks after leaving the nest, reflecting their dedicated parental instincts.
Intelligence and Cognition
There have been few studies specifically examining intelligence and cognition in eastern towhees. However, research on other towhee species and sparrows suggests:
– Towhees have good visual memory and spatial skills allowing them to remember locations of reliable food sources.
– They are able to discriminate between colors and patterns and recognize when food sources are depleted.
– Towhees likely have good observational spatial learning skills allowing them to orient themselves and navigate back to important resources in their territory.
– Their learned vocalizations, ability to adapt to urban areas, and diversity of foraging strategies reflect good basic learning capacity.
– Sparrows in general are considered to have fairly good brain to body mass ratios compared to other bird groups.
So while they may not be the most cognitively advanced birds, eastern towhees do exhibit respectable learning, memory and adaptation abilities. Their inquisitive nature also suggests an active awareness of their surroundings.
Comparisons with Related Species
The eastern towhee belongs to the diverse sparrow family which includes juncos, longspurs and other towhee species. Comparisons reveal:
Dark-eyed Juncos
Juncos are also ground foraging sparrows but lack the towhee’s overtly curious nature, instead appearing constantly nervous. Juncos also differ in being highly social, often foraging in large mixed flocks. Towhees forage more methodically compared to the juncos’ more energetic and frantic scratching.
Spotted Towhees
Spotted towhees of western North America are close relatives of eastern towhees. They share similar shy, secretive personalities and territorial defense behaviors. However spotted towhees have higher-pitched vocalizations, less striking plumage and prefer drier habitats than eastern towhees.
California Towhees
California towhees of the southwestern United States behave much like eastern towhees. They have nearly identical vocalizations and habits. However the California towhee is dull brown in coloration, has a shorter tail and prefers chaparral habitats over eastern deciduous forests.
Urban Adaptability
Though naturally shy birds of dense understory, eastern towhees have adapted well to urban and suburban areas. Features of their urban adaptability include:
Taking advantage of urban resources
Eastern towhees utilize ornamental shrubs, thickets and edge habitats common in parks, gardens and yards in urban areas. They also make use of bird feeders.
Nesting in urban green spaces
Towhees nest in low shrubs and tree saplings found in urban parks, yards, vacant lots and other green spaces.
Habituation to human activity
While still shy, urban towhees exhibit more tolerance of human presence and activity than their rural counterparts. They nest and feed closer to human activity.
Adaptability to habitat fragmentation
Towhees persist even in small urban habitat fragments thanks to their ability to move between patches in the urban matrix seeking suitable nesting and feeding areas.
So while eastern towhees naturally prefer more pristine habitat, their behavioral flexibility allows them to carve out a niche in altered urban environments. Their personality traits including curiosity, resourcefulness and parental dedication enable their urban adaptability.
Significance to Humans
The eastern towhee has minimal economic significance for humans but contributes in several ways:
Insect control
Towhees consume many pest insects and invertebrates like beetles, caterpillars, ants, and spiders, helping to control populations. This can benefit gardens and agriculture.
Seed dispersal
By consuming the fruits of shrubs and small trees, towhees disperse the seeds through their droppings which helps propagate diverse plant communities.
Recreational birdwatching
Bird enthusiasts enjoy trying to spot the shy towhee as well as hearing their musical calls. Towhees are a charming backyard bird.
Bioindicator
Eastern towhees may serve as indicators of habitat quality and ecosystem health based on their population numbers and success. Declining towhees may signal problems requiring investigation.
So while not of direct economic value, the eastern towhee still holds intrinsic value for its beauty, behaviors and ecosystem roles. Their presence enhances natural areas as well as urban green spaces.
Conservation Status
The eastern towhee has an extensive range and large total population estimated at 25 million individuals. Population numbers are generally stable or even increasing in some regions according to long-term monitoring data such as the North American Breeding Bird Survey. Due to their abundance and lack of major threats, the eastern towhee is classified as a species of Least Concern by the IUCN. They face no significant conservation issues at this time though some threats include:
Habitat loss
Towhee populations can decline locally where development, logging or agriculture causes loss of scrubby, brushy habitat. Maintaining suitable habitats is key.
Pesticides
Towhees may ingest pesticide residues on food. Use of less toxic pest control methods would benefit towhees.
Climate change
Changes in temperature and precipitation may cause declines in food resources. Long-term monitoring is warranted.
Predators and disease
Nest predation by cats, snakes and other wildlife is common. West Nile Virus also impacts towhees. Keeping predators in check and removing bird baths that spread disease can help.
While eastern towhees face no imminent threats, stewardship of their preferred habitats will be needed to ensure healthy populations into the future. Their personality traits give them resilience, but human actions will influence their continued success.
Conclusion
In summary, the eastern towhee exhibits a personality profile of a shy but curious bird that prefers to remain hidden. Their nervous and skittish nature causes them to be elusive, yet they can become emboldened at times to approach feeders and interact with their surroundings. Towhees are methodical and persistent when foraging but also resourceful in the variety of foods they consume. Their strong territoriality makes them aggressive defenders yet they soften when diligently caring for their young. Measured against other related sparrows, the eastern towhee has perhaps the most inquisitive nature. Their unique personality has allowed them to adapt to urban areas while retaining their inherent shy and secretive essence. The eastern towhee’s charming traits, aesthetic appeal and ecosystem roles make it a species of conservation interest warranting continued protection of its brushy habitat. Their persistence paired with adaptability will hopefully ensure eastern towhees remain a fixture across their range into the future.