Brown or Canyon Towhee | ||||||||||||||
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Brown Towhee in a California garden | ||||||||||||||
Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
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Binomial name | ||||||||||||||
Pipilo fuscus |
The Canyon Towhee's natural habitat is brush or chaparral, but it adapts well to urban parks and gardens. However its skulking habits and nondescript appearance mean that it is not one of the better known garden birds. It is around 20-25cm in length, and has a noticeably long tail. It is earthy brown in color, with somewhat lighter underparts and a somewhat darker head and a slightly reddish area beneath the tail. There is little sexual dimorphism. In the southwestern states, the birds have a rufous cap.
The Canyon Towhee feeds on the ground or in low scrub rather than in the tree canopy.