Abert's Towhee Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  A large sparrow with a short, conical bill, an elongated body for a sparrow, and a rather long tail. The overall shape is similar to Northern Cardinal (but with a smaller bill and without the crest).

  Relative Size

  Slightly larger than a Northern Cardinal, smaller than a Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay.

  robin-sized

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
  • • Length: 8.3-9.1 in (21.2-23.1 cm)
    • Weight: 1.5-1.9 oz (42.5-54.9 g)
    • Wingspan: 10.4-11.6 in (26.5-29.5 cm)

• Color Pattern

  Abert’s Towhee is grayish-brown above, pinkish brown below, with rusty undertail coverts and black plumage bordering a pale grayish bill.

• Behavior

  Abert’s Towhees spend most of their time on the ground. They forage mostly beneath dense undergrowth, flying very little during the course of a day, and seldom perch high in trees. Even singing males tend to prefer brush or the lower parts of trees.

• Habitat

  Low, dense cover along desert streams and riverbeds with cottonwoods, willows, or mesquite.