Abert's Towhee
The Abert's Towhee, while related to and closely resembling the California and Canyon Towhees, is paler, more secretive and has a different song. The three do not interbreed, even though their ranges overlap. The Abert's Towhee is grayish brown above with slightly paler underparts, buff belly and tawny undertail. It also has a black facial patch that surrounds its pale bill.

The Abert's Towhee scratches in leaves on the ground, searching for seeds and insects. It builds a bulky nest, usually near the ground in low shrubs such as mesquite, elder, ash, umbrella trees or arrowweed and occasionally in trees up to 30 feet above the ground.

The Abert's Towhee is a year-round resident in southern and western Arizona, parts of neighboring Utah, New Mexico and California, southward into Baja California and Sonora in Mexico. It can be found along arroyos in desert thickets and is commonly associated with cottonwood, willow and mesquite, although it is also found around farms, orchards and urban areas.
Abert's Towhee Range Map


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