Pipilo erythrophthalmus
Persistent scratching sounds amid thick shrubbery and a shrill call, “towhee!” reveal the presence of this striking New World sparrow. The dapper Eastern Towhee and its western relative, the Spotted Towhee, were once considered one species — the Rufous-sided Towhee — but were split into distinct species in 1995. The two species sometimes hybridize in the Great Plains, where their ranges meet.
One way to tell an Eastern Towhee from its Spotted relative is by its dark back, marked only by a small white patch at the base of the wings feathers. True to its name, the Spotted Towhee has a generous smattering of white markings across its wings and back.
The Eastern Towhee has a variety of humorous-sounding folk names such as “chewink” and “joree.”
Like the Eastern Phoebe, Eastern Whip-poor-will, and Northern Bobwhite, the Eastern Towhee tells the listener its name! The word “towhee” is an onomatopoeic description of one of this bird’s most common vocalizations — a musical, somewhat shrill two-part call rising in pitch at the end, also described as “chewink” or “joree”.
Its scientific name, Pipilo erythrophthalmus, means “red-eyed chipper” — also an evocative description of this species — though the subspecies found in parts of the southeastern U.S. has distinctive pale yellow eyes.
The Eastern Towhee has experienced significant declines over the last 50 years — more than 50 percent of its population has been lost, and the trend appears to be accelerating. Habitat loss is the leading cause of the Eastern Towhee’s falling numbers, but it is also impacted by invasive species and collisions.
Eastern Towhees rely on habitats that provide dense shrub cover, like those found at forest edges, in overgrown fields and woodlands, and scrubby lawns. These types of habitats are prone to alteration by humans. Clearing for agriculture or development, forest harvesting, and other activities have likely contributed for centuries to the towhee’s ebbing and flowing population size. The natural progression of habitats can also limit habitat availability for Eastern Towhees.
The Eastern Towhee nests on the ground and commonly makes its way into backyards to visit feeders, making it particularly vulnerable to predation by outdoor cats. Free-roaming cats kill an estimated 2.4 billion birds in the U.S. each year, making them the largest human-caused driver of bird declines.
Habituation to human-altered landscapes means that the Eastern Towhee is closer to reflective glass windows and communications towers, both of which can cause fatal collisions. Collisions with glass claim the lives of more than 1 billion birds every year in the U.S. alone.
Birds like the Eastern Towhee need our help in the face of threats like glass collisions and habitat loss. At ABC, we’re inspired by the wonder of birds and driven by our responsibility to find solutions to meet their greatest challenges. With science as our foundation, and with inclusion and partnership at the heart of all we do, we take bold action for birds across the Americas.
Cats make wonderful companions, but they’re safest (and birds are, too) when they’re kept indoors or under the control of their owners. ABC advocates for responsible cat ownership, encouraging millions of pet owners to take steps to keep their cats contained and advocating for policies that benefit birds, cats, and human health.
ABC has been a leader in the effort to reduce the devastating toll of glass collisions on birds. We’ve developed innovative methods for evaluating the effectiveness of collision deterrents, created resources to elevate our collective understanding of collisions and make solutions readily accessible, and advocated for bird-friendly policies in the U.S.
Policies enacted by the U.S. Congress and federal agencies, such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have a huge impact on U.S. birds. Through advocacy, ABC ensures birds have a seat at the table. We advocate for policies and funding that make a difference for birds and ecosystems. We take on challenging issues when birds are on the line. And we help our supporters become advocates for birds, too.
Migratory birds cover thousands of miles each year. Some long-distance migrants fly the equivalent of the distance from Earth to the Moon and back throughout their lifetimes. This capacity is one of the many things that make migratory birds so fascinating, but it’s also something that makes them uniquely vulnerable. They are not only relying on their breeding and nonbreeding territories but on a host of habitats in between — even the air itself — for their survival. That means conservation action needs to follow them wherever they go.
Although generally retiring, the Eastern Towhee is a striking sight, and well worth a patient search. The male is especially striking, patterned in black, white, and rufous. The female’s patterning is more subtle, with softer browns replacing the males’ bold black areas. Both sexes have rufous sides, a white belly, and a long dark tail with conspicuous white tips. Most populations have vivid red eyes, although one subspecies in the southeastern U.S. has equally eye-catching light whitish-yellow eyes. Juvenile towhees are a bit puzzling at first glance; brown overall, with streaky breasts that belie their sparrow heritage.
One of the Eastern Towhee’s most common calls is a short two-part “towhee” or “chewink,” that rises in pitch on the second note. Its equally memorable song sounds like this bird is urging the listener to “Drink your teeeeea!”
Christopher McPherson, XC691321. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/691321.
Manuel Oudard, XC840196. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/840196.
The Eastern Towhee favors habitats that offer plenty of dense cover from shrubs. Leaf litter is also a must for these birds that spend their days scratching at the ground and kicking up food.
Specific Area
Eastern United States and Canada
Range Detail
The Eastern Towhee breeds as far north as southeastern Canada, south to the central Gulf Coast, and west across to the edge of the Great Plains, where it sometimes hybridizes with Spotted Towhee. In the nonbreeding season, it is found in the southern part of its breeding range, as well as in some southwestern states and Mexico.
Did you know?
Not all Eastern Towhees migrate. Birds in the northern portion of the species’ range, typically those north of Virginia, move south after the breeding season. Those already in the southeastern U.S. often stay put year-round.
The Eastern Towhee is often first detected when an observer hears busy scratching sounds in the underbrush. This bird is such an active leaf-scratcher that it can sound like a much larger animal moving through the leaf litter! Like the White-throated Sparrow, Song Sparrow, and other ground-feeding relatives, the Eastern Towhee pushes leaves aside with a jump and backwards kick using both feet, uncovering seeds or potential prey.
The Eastern Towhee is omnivorous, feeding on a wide variety of insects, fruit, berries, and seeds. It prefers to forage under or near thick cover, where its habit of scratching through the ground litter in search of food often gives its presence away. It will sometimes jump up or hover to snatch insects and fruit, or glean through the tree canopy, particularly for caterpillars. Among its commonly taken foods are beetles, grasshoppers, crickets, spiders, grass seeds such as ragweed and smartweed, and blackberries and other soft fruits.
Normally a solitary species, the Eastern Towhee forms monogamous pairs during the breeding season. Males stake out and defend a territory, then court visiting females. Males may chase a female when she first comes into his territory, but after a few days of acclimating to her, the male stays close to his mate, “guarding” her until she completes her nest and is sitting on a clutch.
Like many sparrows, the Eastern Towhee nests on or near the ground. The female towhee builds a cup-shaped nest using bark, dead leaves, plant stems, pine needles, and twigs, adding a lining of softer grasses and hair. If building on the ground, the female towhee builds in a slight depression in the ground litter, well-hidden at the foot of a tree or shrub. Above-ground nests are concealed in thick, nearly impenetrable tangles of vegetation.
It’s up to the female Eastern Towhee to incubate her clutch of two to six brown-speckled eggs, but her mate keeps her fed and defends their territory. After the chicks hatch, both parents feed them, with the male continuing to care for young birds even after they’ve fledged. This frees up the female to begin a second nest. When disturbed, the female Eastern Towhee prefers to run away from her nest like a mouse rather than fly, similar to other secretive birds that nest on or near the ground, such as the Grasshopper Sparrow and Eastern Meadowlark.
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