Eastern Towhee (Pipilo Erythrophthalmus) David Ewert

Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) David Ewert

Petersburg State Game Area, Monroe Co., MI June, 2006 © Willie McHale This species sponsored by Lonnie & Sharon Kuntz.

(Click to view a comparison of Atlas I to II)

The Eastern Towhee is one of our most LP (Ewert 1991, McPeek and Adams 1994). During both MBBA I and II, many reports of distinctive sparrows. The rufous sides, white towhees in the UP were from the south central belly and black (male) or brown (female) head region centering on Dickinson, eastern Iron, and and back coupled with its habit of flashing the southern Marquette counties with scattered white outer tail feathers as it flies through the sightings elsewhere across the UP. In the LP, scrub or forest make this common species towhees were broadly distributed except locally, readily identifiable. It is further distinguished such as highly agricultural Huron County and by its habit of "double scratching", where it the northernmost counties of Emmet, kicks the leaf litter on the forest floor Cheboygan, Presque Isle, Charlevoix, Antrim with both feet to locate food such as and Alpena where relatively few sightings invertebrates. The characteristic "drink-your- occurred during the breeding season. The tea" song, and its many variants, and the distribution of towhees did not change "chewink" call note easily identify the towhee appreciably between MBBA I and MBBA II, when it cannot be seen. The Eastern Towhee has nor is the breeding range much different from a wide breeding distribution ranging from that described by Barrows (1912) or Wood extreme southern Manitoba, southern Ontario (1951). Towhees use a wide range of early and and extreme southern Maine south to the Gulf mid-successional habitats that have a well Coast of Texas and Florida (Greenlaw 1996). It developed leaf or other ground cover litter. winters from southern New England, southern Breeding towhees can be found in oak Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Iowa and Kansas woodlands, jack-pine barrens, early successional south to the Gulf Coast (Greenlaw 1996). mesic forests, edges of wetlands and bogs and Michigan is at the northern limit of the Eastern other habitats that have a shrub layer or low Towhee's range (Brewer et al. 1991, Greenlaw canopy height. 1996).

The Eastern Towhee was found in 94% of Distribution atlas blocks in Ohio (Peterjohn and Rice The Eastern Towhee is relatively rare or 1991), virtually all priority blocks in Indiana uncommon across most of the UP and extreme (Webster 1998), 64% of priority blocks in northern LP but is common across most of the

Illinois (Kleen et al. 2004), and 54% of priority towhees’ distribution and abundance do not blocks in Wisconsin (Harriman 2006). This indicate any immediate conservation concern in species was found in Ontario mostly from the most of Michigan, the reduced occurrence of Bruce Peninsula and near shore areas of towhees in some counties of the west central Georgian Bay south and east toward the St. UP, far northern LP and agricultural lands near Lawrence River (Timpf 2007). This towhee is Saginaw Bay suggest there may be local relatively uncommon in intensively farmed decreases in numbers of towhees. These areas where suitable habitat is scarce. apparent decreases may reflect local changes in land use or maturation of forest but do not Breeding Biology suggest any immediate state-wide concerns. Towhees are relatively early spring migrants with some birds arriving in late March but most arriving in April. Nests are usually on the Literature Cited ground. Towhees are often double brooded with first clutches typically completed in late May Barrows, W.B. 1912. Michigan Bird Life. and second clutches in July (McPeek and Michigan Agricultural College, East Adams 1994). Clutch size is usually four to five Lansing. eggs. Although a few towhees overwinter in Brewer, R., G.A. McPeek, and R.J. Adams Jr. Michigan, most have left the state for wintering (eds.). 1991. The Atlas of Breeding Birds of areas by October (McPeek and Adams 1994). Michigan. Michigan State University Press, East Lansing, MI. Abundance and Population Trends Ewert, D. 1991. Rufous-sided Towhee (Pipilo (Click to view trends from the BBS) erythrophthalmus). In Brewer, R, GA In the UP, northern LP, and southern LP, the McPeek, and RJ Adams Jr. 1991. The Atlas percent of townships with towhees dropped of Breeding Birds of Michigan. Michigan from 16% to 12%, 66% to 55%, and 79% to State University Press. East Lansing, MI. 67% respectively between MBBA I and MBBA Greenlaw, J.S. 1996. Eastern Towhee (Pipilo II. During the period 1983-2007, there was a erythrophthalmus). In The Birds of North non-significant decline of 1% per year in America, No. 262 (A. Poole and F. Gill, Michigan and 0.8% per year in the Great Lakes eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., region based on Breeding Bird Surveys; the Philadelphia, PA. average number of towhees detected per route in Harriman, B.R. 2006. Eastern Towhee (Pipilo Michigan was 1.8. Towhees appear to be erythrophthalmus). In Cutright, N.J., B.R. occupying a smaller proportion of their Harriman, and R.W. Howe. 2006. Atlas of Michigan range than before but neither the the Breeding Birds of Wisconsin. Michigan range nor abundance appears to have Wisconsin Ornithological Society, changed appreciably between MBBA I and Waukesha, WI. MBBA II. In Ontario, towhees did not show Kleen, V.M., L. Cordle, and R.A. Montgomery. any population trends province-wide (Timpf 2004. The Illinois Breeding Bird Atlas. 2007). Declines in towhee detection in New Special Publication No. 26. Illinois York were attributed to habitat loss (McGowan Natural History Survey, Champaign, IL. 2008). McGowan, K.J.. 2008. Eastern Towhee Pipilo erythrophthalmus. In McGowan, Conservation needs K.J. and K. Corwin. The Second Atlas The Eastern Towhee inhabits many habitats, of Breeding Birds in New York State. does not appear to be area sensitive, and Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY. remains common. Although changes in

McPeek, G.A. and R.J. Adams (eds.). 1994. The Birds of Michigan. Indiana University Press. Indianapolis, IN. Peterjohn, B.G.. and D.L. Rice. 1991. The Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas. Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Columbus, OH. Timpf, M. 2007. Eastern Towhee Pipilo erythrophthalmus. In Cadman, M.D., D.A. Sutherland, G.G. Beck, D. Lepage, and AR Couturier (eds.). 2007. Atlas of the breeding birds of Ontario, 2001-2005. Bird Studies Canada, Environment Canada, Ontario Field Naturalists, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, and Ontario Nature. Toronto, Ontario. Webster, J.D. 1998. In Castrale, J.S., E.M. Hopkins, and C.E. Keller. 1998. Atlas of Breeding Birds in Indiana. Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish and Wildlife, Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program, Indianapolis, IN. Wood, N.A. 1951. The Birds of Michigan. University of Michigan Press, Miscellaneous Publications, Museum of Zoology, No. 75, Ann Arbor.

Suggested Citation

Ewert, D. 2010. Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) In Chartier, A.T., J.J. Baldy, and J.M. Brenneman (eds.). 2010. The Second Michigan Breeding Bird Atlas. Kalamazoo Nature Center. Kalamazoo, MI. Accessed online at: .