Abert's towhee
Abert's towhee | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Family: | Passerellidae |
Genus: | Melozone |
Species: | M. aberti
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Binomial name | |
Melozone aberti (Baird, 1852)
| |
Synonyms | |
Pipilo aberti |
Abert's towhee (Melozone aberti) is a
Passerellidae, native to a small range in southwestern North America, generally the lower Colorado River and Gila River watersheds, nearly endemic to Arizona, but also present in small parts of California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and Sonora in Mexico. The name of this bird commemorates the American ornithologist James William Abert
(1820–1897).
More Information
Abert's towhees are recognized by their relatively long tails, dark faces, and overall brown plumage. They are related to
sparrows and juncos but are more similar to thrashers in appearance. They may be confused with the California towhee, but their dark faces are more distinct, and the range of these species only slightly overlaps. The Abert's towhee is the longest species in the diverse New World sparrow family at 21 to 25 cm (8.3 to 9.8 in) long, but its length is boosted by a relatively long tail, at 10 to 12 cm (3.9 to 4.7 in) in length.[2] Males weigh from 40–54.1 g (1.41–1.91 oz), with an average of 47.1 g (1.66 oz), while females weigh from 39.5–51 g (1.39–1.80 oz), with an average of 44.8 g (1.58 oz).[3] In terms of weight, it is outweighed by several other towhee species.[3] Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 8.2 to 9.7 cm (3.2 to 3.8 in), the bill is 1.5 to 1.6 cm (0.59 to 0.63 in) and the tarsus is 2.6 to 2.9 cm (1.0 to 1.1 in).[2]
Habitat
This bird is common in brushy riparian habitats in the Lower
Sedona
.
Feeding
Abert's towhees usually forage on the ground among dense brush for seeds, but they also incorporate insects into their diet.[4] Like other towhees, they scratch at the ground in a manner similar to quail, and will sometimes dig up and eat grubs. They can be attracted to feeders by providing cracked corn on the ground.
References
- . Retrieved 6 September 2021.
- ^ ISBN 978-0395738733.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8493-4258-5.
- ^ "Abert's Towhee, Life History". All About Birds. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Abert's towhee.
Wikispecies has information related to Pipilo aberti.
- Audubon: Abert's towhee
- Abert's towhee photo gallery at VIREO (Drexel University)
- "Abert's towhee media". Internet Bird Collection.
- Interactive range map of Pipilo aberti at IUCN Red List maps