Green-tailed towhees are small songbirds found in the western United States. They get their name from the bright green edges on their tail feathers. Green-tailed towhees mainly eat seeds and insects, like many other towhee species.
Seeds and Grains
Seeds and grains make up the bulk of the green-tailed towhee’s diet. They forage on the ground for a variety of grass, weed, and wildflower seeds. Common seeds in their diet include:
- Millet
- Flax
- Ragweed
- Sunflower
- Pigweed
Green-tailed towhees use their strong beaks to crack open these hard seeds. They also eat fallen grain such as wheat, oats, and barley in agricultural areas.
Insects and Other Invertebrates
While seeds are their staple food, green-tailed towhees supplement their diet with protein-rich insects and invertebrates. They scratch through leaf litter on the forest floor searching for insect prey. Common insect foods include:
- Beetles
- Caterpillars
- Ants
- Spiders
- Snails
- Centipedes
Green-tailed towhees typically feed on insects during the breeding season when they need extra protein to produce eggs. The chicks are also fed insects to provide the nutrition they need to grow and develop.
Fruits and Berries
In addition to seeds and insects, green-tailed towhees will sometimes eat berries and fruits. They mainly eat these when seeds and insects are scarce. Fruits they are known to eat include:
- Wild cherries
- Elderberries
- Serviceberries
- Blackberries
- Currants
Fruits provide towhees with carbohydrates and important vitamins and minerals. However, they make up a relatively small portion of their overall diet compared to seeds.
Feeding Behavior
Green-tailed towhees have several characteristic feeding behaviors and adaptations:
- Forage by hopping along the ground and vigorously scratching leaf litter in search of food.
- Use their feet to expose hidden seeds and insects.
- Glean through low branches and shrubs for fruits and berries.
- Crack open hard seeds and shells with their strong cone-shaped bill.
- Carry seeds and insects back to a perch to eat.
- May cache extra seeds in the ground to eat later.
These feeding habits allow green-tailed towhees to efficiently find and handle the wide variety of food sources they consume. Their ground-scratching behavior in particular helps them access seeds and insects buried under debris.
Seasonal Changes
The green-tailed towhee’s diet changes somewhat across seasons:
- Spring: Feed on more insects to meet protein needs for breeding. Also eat new green sprouts and buds.
- Summer: Consume a wide variety of seeds, fruits, and insects. Care for hatchlings by bringing insect prey back to the nest.
- Fall: Shift to eating more seeds as insect numbers decline. Fatten up on seeds and fruits in preparation for winter.
- Winter: Rely primarily on seeds due to scarcity of other foods. Supplement diet with any fruits and frozen insects they can find.
Their ability to adapt their diet across the seasons allows green-tailed towhees to thrive year-round in their habitat.
Habitats
Green-tailed towhees are found in a variety of shrubby habitats across their western range including:
- Chaparral
- Sagebrush
- Mountain brush
- Scrub oak
- Pinyon-juniper woodlands
- Forest edges
These habitats provide the seeds, fruits, and ample ground insects that green-tailed towhees rely on. Towhees that live near human settlements may also visit backyards and parks to forage.
Interesting Facts
- Green-tailed towhees get almost all their water needs from the food they eat.
- They occasionally bathe in puddles and dew to keep their feathers in good condition.
- Towhees have been seen taking advantage of feeders stocked with millet and sunflower seeds.
- Their loud “drink-your-teeeeaaaa” call carries far across brushy hillsides.
- Nestlings can consume up to 650 insects per day while they are growing.
Conclusion
In summary, the green-tailed towhee is adapted to thrive on a diverse diet of seeds, insects, and fruits. Their ground-foraging behavior and powerful beak allow them to scour the scrub for food and handle a variety of hard seeds. While their diet changes across the seasons, seeds and insects make up the core foods that green-tailed towhees rely on throughout the year. Understanding the towhee’s nutritional needs provides insight into their habitat preferences and foraging ecology in western shrublands.