The canyon towhee (Melozone fusca) is a medium-sized sparrow found in the arid regions of the southwestern United States and Mexico. This towhee gets its name from its preference for rocky canyons, where it builds its nest and forages for food. Canyon towhees are non-migratory, meaning they stay in the same general area year-round. They can be identified by their gray bodies, rusty colored crowns and tails, and white spotting on their wings. Read on to learn more about where canyon towhees typically build their nests.
Nesting Habitat
Canyon towhees nest in a variety of habitats across their range, but they are most closely associated with rocky canyons and hillsides. Their preferred nesting areas include:
– Rocky outcrops and cliffs: Canyon towhees often tuck their nests into rock crevices, cracks, or cavities along canyon walls and cliffsides. The rocks help conceal and protect the nest.
– Boulder fields and talus slopes: Piles of boulders or loose rock debris known as talus provide excellent nesting spots. Towhees build nests under overhanging rocks or wedged deep between boulders.
– Desert washes: Dry streambeds lined with brush and rocky banks winding through the desert are prime real estate. Towhees nest low in shrubs or on the ground beneath vegetation.
– Piñon-juniper woodlands: In pine and juniper forests with rocky understories, towhees nest on the ground sheltered by vegetation.
– Rural and suburban areas: Around human settlements, towhees may nest in yards, gardens, and parks if rock piles, shrubs, or other suitable sites are available.
The unifying theme is that canyon towhees typically nest in areas that offer a combination of rock crevices or debris for concealment and shrubs or other vegetation for shelter. They favor spots that protect the nest from predators and the elements while providing easy access to foraging areas.
Nest Characteristics
The canyon towhee’s nest is a cup-shaped structure bulky enough to usually rest on the ground, but sometimes lodged in crevices or low vegetation. Nests typically consist of:
– Coarse twigs: Towhees construct a sturdy outer framework of twigs, stems, bark strips, and small sticks.
– Plant fibers and grasses: Softer inner lining materials include shredded bark, dry leaves, evergreen needles, roots, and grasses.
– Animal hair and feathers: Towhees often incorporate mammal fur or feathers to cushion the eggs.
– Spider webs: Cobwebbing helps bind the nest materials together.
Nest dimensions range from 4-7 inches across and 2-4 inches high. The inner cavity that holds the eggs measures about 2 inches across and 1.5 inches deep. Towheesscraped a shallow depression in the ground or pile loose pebbles around the base. Nest building is done solely by the female over 2-6 days. She may reuse the same nest for consecutive broods in a season, relining it with fresh materials.
Geographic Range
Within their overall range across the southwestern U.S. and Mexico, canyon towhees nest in the following regions:
United States
– California: Throughout the Mojave and Colorado deserts. Also the Central Valley.
– Nevada: Mainly southern Nevada including the Las Vegas area.
– Utah: Breeds in the southern half of Utah except for the northeast.
– Colorado: Western and southern Colorado including the mesas and canyons.
– Arizona: Found statewide except for the higher mountain chains.
– New Mexico: Statewide.
– Texas: Trans-Pecos region of west Texas.
– Oregon: Malheur County in the southeast.
– Idaho: Owyhee County in the southwest.
Mexico
– Baja California: Down the full Baja Peninsula.
– Sonora: Most of the state south of the Arizona border.
– Chihuahua: Northern and central areas.
– Coahuila: Sparse breeding population.
– Durango: Western parts.
– Zacatecas: Very limited range.
So in summary, canyon towhees predominantly nest across the Mojave and Sonoran deserts, Great Basin, canyonlands and arid valleys of the southwest U.S., and northern Mexico. The core of their range centers on Arizona, New Mexico, California, Nevada, Utah, western Texas and northwestern Mexico. They are scarce breeders outside this main region.
Nest Heights and Locations
Canyon towhees are ground nesters, typically building nests close to the ground. Some specifics on their nest heights include:
– Average height: 2 feet above ground.
– Usual range: Ground level up to 10 feet high.
– Maximum recorded: 33 feet up in a giant saguaro cactus.
They almost always nest below 5 feet off the ground. Some common nest site locations include:
– In rock crevices and recesses along canyon walls and cliffs.
– Tucked under overhanging rocks or boulders.
– At the base of yucca, century plants, and other desert trees and shrubs.
– Sheltered by brush piles, logs, or slash.
– Wedged between boulders and rocks in talus slopes or scree piles.
– On open ground sheltered by surrounding vegetation like grasses.
– In abandoned woodrat nests or other existing cavities and depressions.
So canyon towhees are flexible in using cavities, debris piles, vegetation, and open ground to site their low nests in protective spots. They occasionally nest up to 10 feet high when suitable sites are available.
Concealment Strategy
Canyon towhees employ several strategies to conceal their ground nests from predators:
– Rely on natural cavities: Existing recesses in rocks or debris provide instant cover. The towhees don’t have to construct an elaborate covered nest.
– Use rubble substrate: Nesting amid jumbled rocks or piles of sticks breaks up the nest’s outline.
– Place nest under vegetation: Shrubs, grasses and brush obscures the nest when sited under dense foliage.
– Build nest tight to objects: Tucking the nest into rock cracks or against logs or trunks hides it from view.
– Match nest to surroundings: Materials like twigs, evergreen needles, and mud make the nest blend with the local substrate.
– Add dome or hood: Towhees may construct a partial roof or canopy over the nest for added concealment, especially when nesting in more exposed sites.
– Rely on female’s cryptic plumage: The gray, brown, and black coloration helps camouflage the sitting female.
By taking advantage of their habitat, canyon towhees are able to conceal their ground nest sites from visual hunters like coyotes, foxes, and hawks who might raid the eggs. The nests often escape notice unless accidentally flushed.
Nesting Schedule
Canyon towhees breed from March through August across their range. They may raise multiple broods in a season. Here is the typical nesting timeline:
– March to May: Nest building and first broods.
– May to June: Second nesting attempts and broods.
– June to August: Potential third broods during the peak breeding months.
– August: Nesting tapers off but some late broods may occur.
– September to February: Non-breeding season. Some nest maintenance may occur.
So the canyon towhee nesting season corresponds with the warmer months and highest food availability. The female alone builds the nest in 2-6 days. Eggs are laid soon after at a rate of one per day. The breeding season often starts 4-6 weeks later at higher elevations.
Clutch Size and Incubation
Here are some key facts about canyon towhee clutch size and incubation:
– Clutch size: 2-5 eggs. Average is 3-4.
– Egg color: Pale bluish-white with reddish-brown spotting.
– Egg dimensions: 0.8 x 0.6 inches.
– Incubation period: 12-14 days.
– Incubated by: Only the female.
– Nestlings: Altricial, born helpless with eyes closed.
– Fledging period: 9-11 days in the nest before fledging.
So canyon towhee eggs are small and spotted. The female alone incubates and broods them. The chicks hatch after about two weeks and leave the nest just over a week later.
Parental Roles
Canyon towhee parents fulfill distinct roles in raising their young:
Female’s Duties
– Builds the nest.
– Incubates the eggs.
– Broods newly hatched chicks.
– Defends nest vicinity.
– Mostly fed by male during incubation and brooding.
Male’s Duties
– Feeds female during incubation and brooding.
– Helps feed nestlings and fledglings.
– Defends larger territory around nest.
– Watches for predators from high perches.
So the female takes on more nesting duties while the male provides food and keeps watch. The parents cooperate in feeding and defending the chicks. Nest defense involves alarm calling, distraction displays, and dive bombing intruders.
Threats and Survival
Canyon towhee nests face threats from the following predators:
– Snakes: Gopher snakes and others prey heavily on eggs and young.
– Jays: Scrub jays and Steller’s jays raid nests.
– Rodents: Rats, mice, and chipmunks take eggs.
– Larger birds: Crows, ravens, roadrunners, and others eat eggs and chicks.
– Carnivores: Ringtails, raccoons, coyotes, and cats prey on nests.
– Cowbirds: Brown-headed cowbirds parasitize canyon towhee nests.
Despite these threats, studies show canyon towhee nests still enjoy about a 50% overall success rate. Survival chances increase in more concealed or inaccessible sites. Leaving the area temporarily may also improve the odds. Predation remains their biggest obstacle to nest success.
Population Status
Canyon towhees remain common and widespread throughout their range. Their total population is estimated at:
– World: 1.5 million birds.
– United States: 1 million.
– Mexico: 0.5 million.
These towhees adapt readily to sparse vegetation in arid habitats. They can thrive close to human settlements as long as some cover is available. While urbanization has reduced their range locally, canyon towhees have a large range over undeveloped areas. Their populations appear stable with no major threats. They are classified as a species of Least Concern.
Key Facts Summary
Here are some key facts to remember about where canyon towhees nest:
– Habitat: Rocky canyons, hillsides, deserts with shrubs or trees.
– Nest site: On ground or very low, tucked into rocks, shrubs, debris.
– Nest structure: Cup of twigs, lined with softer materials.
– Location: Southwest U.S. and Mexico.
– Height: Up to 10 feet, usually under 5 feet.
– Timing: March through August.
– Eggs: 2-5, incubated 12-14 days.
– Parental roles: Female builds nest and incubates. Male feeds female.
– Threats: Snakes, jays, rodents, cowbirds.
– Status: Common, populations stable.
So in summary, canyon towhees are ground-nesting birds that build domed nests low in rocky canyons and arid habitats across the southwestern U.S. and Mexico. The female alone constructs the nest and incubates the eggs while the male provides food. Despite threats from predators, canyon towhee populations remain secure. Their unique nesting habits allow them to thrive in the desert environments they call home.
Conclusion
Canyon towhees have adapted to breed successfully in the harsh, arid environments of the southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico. Their preference for nesting on the ground or very low in rocky canyons helps keep their nests concealed from predators. The female towhee chooses sites with cavities, overhangs, rocks, vegetation, or other cover to hide her nest of twigs, grasses, and fibers. While threats like snakes and jays are constant, towhee population numbers remain strong across their range due to their resilience. Their unique nesting habits give us a glimpse into the fascinating breeding strategies of towhees and other desert-dwelling birds. Learning more about how birds like the canyon towhee nest can give us a greater appreciation for the natural history of our local wildlife.