A medium towhee with greenish back and rusty cap.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
The green-tailed towhee is a species of bird in the family Passerellidae, the New World sparrows. It is found in the western United States and much of Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia — Green-tailed towhee Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Olive-green upperparts and tail, gray breast, bright rufous crown, and a white throat bordered by dark malar stripes. The smallest towhee.
Similar species. No other towhee is green; the rufous cap and white throat are distinctive.
Voice. A sweet, variable song of whistles and a raspy trill: 'weet-chur-cheeeee'; catlike 'mew' call.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Seeds (primary), insects (especially during breeding).
Behavior. A skulking towhee of mountain shrublands and sagebrush; scratches in leaf litter with both feet and runs on the ground with its tail cocked like a chipmunk.
§ Range
Western mountain habitats
§ Habitat
Brushy mountain habitats
§ Threats
Habitat loss.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the green-tailed towhee is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Support western mountain conservation.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Green-tailed towhee
- www.allaboutbirds.org — authoritative profile of Pipilo chlorurus
- IUCN Red List — search for Pipilo chlorurus
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Pipilo chlorurus
§ Sources cited
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology — All About Birds
- National Audubon Society
- iNaturalist
- IUCN Red List
