Eastern Towhee

If you're walking through or near woods and hear someone singing, it might be a good thing to get out the binoculars and scan the trees. I was at Fairview Farm when I overheard this Eastern Towhee singing his heart out. Some people think their song sounds like they're singing "drink your tea", despite the fact that tea is typically unavailable while walking through the woods.

The black on the head/back/wings identifies this as a male; if the black was a dark brown it'd be a female. If he finds a companion, they could raise two broods this year. (In the south they sometimes do 3 broods.)

Eastern Towhees are a kind of sparrow. Their nearest relative is the similar-looking Spotted Towhee, with whom they'll sometimes hybridize. You probably don't need to know how to tell them apart though since the Spotteds are rarely east of western Iowa/Missouri.
May 14, 2021 at Fairview Farm
Photo 132039121, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)


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