By Dianna Moore
Grays Harbor Audubon Society
Some birds are so common to our area we barely notice their presence anymore, even one so colorful as the Spotted Towhee. It is one of the first birds I hear during the early morning “dawn chorus,” and is another favorite of mine.
General Description: Spotted Towhees are one of the first birds new birders learn to recognize by sight and sound. The male has a black head and mostly black upper parts with white spots on sides and wings, and rusty chestnut-colored underparts. Adults have red eyes. Females are dark brown where the male is black and juvenile birds are heavily streaked. Both sexes are approximately 6.7 to 8.3 inches in length, with wing spans of 11 inches, and weigh about 1.5 ounces.
Habitat: Spotted Towhees can be found in shrubby lowlands, clear cuts, edges of yards and around feeders.
Behavior: One of the best ways to find towhees is to listen for the rustling noises coming from a bird in the leaf litter, scratching like a chicken, two feet forward, two-step back; it’s a very rhythmic sound and one I have found to be pretty distinctive. They prefer the heavy screening of thick shrubbery and branches low to the ground. During breeding season the males can also be found singing from upper branches.
Diet: Spotted Towhees are primarily seed-eaters but will also eat worms and larvae, especially during nesting season when they need more protein for themselves and babies.
Nesting: The male Spotted Towhee has a large repertoire of songs he uses to attract a mate/defend his territory and he begins early in the season, usually about February. The female picks the nest site on the ground under cover of low branches. It is sunk into the leaf litter so that the rim of the nest is even with the litter. The nest is made of bark, grass and leaves, and lined with evergreen needles, hair and softer grasses. She incubates three to five eggs for12 to 14 days, with both parents on feeding duty. The young leave the nest at nine to 11 days of age but don’t fly for another six days. The parents continue to feed them and the young stay within the territory for another 30 days or so.
Migration: Western Washington birds are year-round residents, but towhees of eastern Washington and other colder parts of the west migrate into the southwest.
Conservation Status: Spotted Towhees were once rare in western Washington, especially along the coast. With more timber cutting and new housing going up, more of their favorite habitat has been opened up and the results show the species has made the most of the increase in habitat availability. The Breeding Bird Survey shows a significant increase in numbers since 1966.
When and Where to Find on Grays Harbor: Spotted Towhees can be found year-round here on the harbor. If you have feeders hanging near bushes, check on the ground under the feeders. If you have a good deciduous tree nearby, a red alder will do, it provides the leaf littler they prefer for their dining choices. Just listen for the chicken-scratching two-step.
