Scratching and turning
over leaves, the towhee is a handsome, long-tailed bird of the understory that
makes itself known through some loud and accomplished singing. In the sparrow
family, the Eastern towhee (formerly known as the rufous-sided
towhee) is a common breeder along scrublands, forest edge, and open fields
throughout New England. Often heard before seen singing a bright, slow paced
song often remembered by the mnemonic device, “drink your tea-e-e-e-e”. The trilled “tea” is also turned
into the two-noted, name-saying “tow-weeee” call. Female towhee’s are beautifully
colored in a contrasting, dusty version of the male. In flight towhee’s show
flashes of white on the outer tail. They are often found scratching for bugs
and seeds in the leaf litter, or flying from bush to bush in an open field, or
seen as a flash in at eye height in the woods.  |
