Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)


Group	Sparrows
Code	ABPBX74030
Order	Passeriformes
Family	Emberizidae
Author	(Linnaeus, 1758)
Rank	G5 (definitions)
Occurrence	SM (definitions)
Scale	C (definitions)

County List:


Western UP	Menominee, Marquette, Ontonagon, Delta, Dickinson, Baraga, Iron, Gogebic, Houghton
Eastern UP	all
Northern LP	all
Southern LP	all

Rule:

Mixed Forested/Nonforested Landscapes

1st alternative:
      (Oak (Regen))
      or (Assorted Hardwoods (Regen))
      or (Jack Pine (Regen))
      or (Mixed Pine (Regen))
      or (Mixed Upland Hardwoods (Regen))
      or Upland Brush
      or Savanna
   containing:
      Mast

2nd alternative:
      (Oak (Pole or Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
   containing:
      Mast
   adjacent to:
      Edge

3rd alternative:
      (Oak (Pole or Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
   containing:
      (Stand/Gap Openings and Mast)

view decision rule term definitions

Habitat List:

Habitats	Regen	Sap	Pole	Sm Saw	Lg Saw	Uneven
Aspen	no	no	no	no	no	-
Paper Birch	no	no	no	no	no	-
Oak	YES	no	YES	YES	YES	YES
Assorted Hardwoods	YES	no	no	no	no	no
Northern Hardwoods	no	no	no	no	no	no
Spruce/Fir	no	no	no	no	no	no
Hemlock	no	no	no	no	no	no
Jack Pine	YES	no	no	no	no	no
Red Pine	no	no	no	no	no	no
White Pine	no	no	no	no	no	no
Conifer Plantations	no	no	no	no	no	-
Mixed Upland Hardwoods	YES	no	no	no	no	no
Mixed Northern Hardwoods	no	no	no	no	no	no
Mixed Upland Conifer	no	no	no	no	no	no
Mixed Pine	YES	no	no	no	no	no
Swamp Hardwoods	no	no	no	no	no	no
Balsam Poplar & Swamp Aspen & Swamp Birch	no	no	no	no	no	no
Bottomland Hardwoods	no	no	no	no	no	no
Tamarack	no	no	no	no	no	no
Northern White Cedar	no	no	no	no	no	no
Black Spruce	no	no	no	no	no	no
Mixed Lowland Hardwoods	no	no	no	no	no	no
Mixed Lowland Conifer	no	no	no	no	no	no
Non-Forested	Upland Brush, Savanna
Special Features	Mast, Edges, Stand (Gap) Openings

view size class definitions

Literature:

Ewert, D. N. 1991. Rufous-sided Towhee. Pages 464-465 In: R. Brewer, G. A. McPeek, and R. J. Adams, Jr. (eds.) The atlas of breeding birds of Michigan. Michigan State University Press, East Lansing. 594 pp.

Habitat: Towhees are most common in second-growth forests; old fields succeeding to forest and other brushy areas; young jack pines and jack-pine plains where oak is present; and openings and edges of mature oak forests. The Atlas Habitat Survey found towhees to be especially frequent in shrubby uplands across the state. A well-developed leaf litter on the forest floor, at least locally, combined with a dense or patchy shrub layer and a sparse to semi-open canopy characterized their habitat. Here towhees can frequently be heard double-scratching in their search for insect prey. They may also be seen in shrubs and trees foraging on caterpillars during periods of caterpillar abundance. Nests are generally sunk in the litter or placed on a low shrub. Because many of their favored habitats are successional, the size of towhee populations may change considerably at a give location over time.

DeGraaf, R. M. and D. D. Rudis. 1986. New England wildlife: habitat, natural history, and distribution. GTR NE-108. Broomall, PA:USDA, Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station. 491 pp.

Habitat: Breeding: Woodland edges and dry open interiors and clearings, hedgerows, roadside thickets, brushy hillsides and pastures. Wintering: Similar to breeding.

Special Habitat Requirements: Dense brushy cover.

Kaufman, K. 1996. Lives of North American Birds. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. 675 pp.

Habitat: Open woods, undergrowth, brushy edges. Habitat varies with region, but always in brushy areas. In the northeast, typically in understory of open woods.

Diet: Mostly insects, seeds, berries. Diet varies with season and region. Eats many insects, especially in summer, including beetles, caterpillars, moths, true bugs, ants, and many others, also spiders, snails, millipedes. Rarely may eat small salamanders, lizards or snakes. Also eats many seeds, plus acorns, berries, and small fruits.