The eastern towhee, also known as chewink, joree, or joree bird, is a large New World sparrow. The taxonomy of the towhees has been under debate in recent decades, and formerly this bird and the spotted towhee were considered a single species, the rufous-sided towhee.
Region
Eastern North America
Typical Environment
Breeding extends from southern Canada and New England through the Midwest and southward across the Appalachian region to the Gulf Coast and Florida. Northern populations migrate to the southeastern United States in winter, while southern birds are largely resident. It favors shrubby edges, overgrown fields, pine-oak woodlands, and dense forest understory near clearings. Towhees are common in brushy suburban areas with thick ground cover.
Altitude Range
0–2000 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called chewink or joree, the eastern towhee is a large, ground-foraging New World sparrow famous for its double-scratch feeding technique—hopping forward and raking leaves back with both feet. Males are strikingly patterned, while females are browner and better camouflaged. Its mnemonic song is often rendered as “drink-your-tea,” and its sharp call sounds like “chewink.” It prefers dense, brushy habitats and is often heard before it is seen.
Female
Nest with hatchlings in North Carolina
Temperament
secretive but vocal
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with low, direct flights between thickets
Social Behavior
Typically solitary or in pairs during the breeding season and strongly territorial in dense understory. Nests are usually placed low in shrubs or on the ground, well concealed by vegetation. In the nonbreeding season, small loose flocks may form, sometimes mixed with other sparrows.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Song is a clear, whistled phrase often rendered as “drink-your-tea,” rising then falling. Calls include a sharp, metallic “chewink” or “t’tink,” frequently given from cover.
Plumage
Male shows glossy black head and upperparts with rich rufous flanks and a clean white belly, plus white patches in the wings and outer tail. Female replaces the black with warm brown, retaining the rufous sides and white underparts. Both sexes have relatively plain, dark upperwings with small white markings and contrasting white tail corners.
Diet
Feeds on a mix of insects (beetles, caterpillars, grasshoppers), spiders, and other invertebrates, especially in spring and summer. Seeds, acorns, and small fruits (such as blackberries and sumac) are important, particularly in fall and winter. Uses a distinctive two-footed scratch to uncover prey in leaf litter.
Preferred Environment
Forages on the ground under dense shrubs, hedgerows, and thickets where leaf litter is abundant. Often works along edges of forests, overgrown fields, and backyard brush piles.
