The green-tailed towhee is the smallest towhee, but is still one of the larger members of the American sparrow family Passerellidae.
Region
Western North America
Typical Environment
Breeds in shrubby mountain habitats across the western United States, from the Cascades and Sierra Nevada through the Great Basin and Rocky Mountains, and into the southwestern U.S. Winters primarily in the southwestern U.S. and northern to central Mexico. Prefers sagebrush, montane chaparral, pinyon–juniper understory, and brushy post-fire regrowth. Often found along brushy edges, canyon slopes, and thickets near dry washes. Uses dense low shrubs for nesting and cover, foraging mostly on the ground beneath.
Altitude Range
600–3200 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The green-tailed towhee is the smallest towhee, yet still larger than most sparrows in its family Passerellidae. It is a secretive ground-forager that performs a characteristic double-scratch to uncover seeds and insects beneath leaf litter. Its olive-green tail and bright rufous crown make it one of the most distinctive towhees of the western mountains.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with low, direct flights between shrubs
Social Behavior
Typically solitary or in pairs during the breeding season, defending dense shrub territories. The female builds a cup nest low in shrubs and incubates; the male assists with feeding nestlings. Outside breeding, may form loose flocks with other sparrows in brushy wintering areas.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
A bright, musical jumble of clear whistles and trills, delivered from the tops of shrubs. Calls include sharp chips and a soft, mewing note, especially when alarmed.
Plumage
Olive-green upperparts with a distinctly greener tail, gray face and breast, and a clean white throat bordered by darker malar stripes. Crown is rich rufous, often raised slightly; underparts are grayish with a pale belly. Feathers are smooth and sleek, with minimal streaking.
Diet
Eats a mix of seeds, small fruits, and invertebrates. In spring and summer, consumes beetles, caterpillars, ants, and other arthropods. In autumn and winter, relies more on grass and forb seeds and berries such as currant and serviceberry. Forages by scratching vigorously in leaf litter with a two-footed hop-scratch.
Preferred Environment
Feeds mostly on the ground beneath dense sagebrush, chaparral, and pinyon–juniper understory. Also works along brushy edges, disturbed shrubfields, and post-fire regrowth where leaf litter and seed fall are abundant.
