Spotted towhees at the bird feeder in Golden Hills

Tim Crouch took this photo of two Spotted Towhees (Pipilo maculatus) at his Golden Hills home as they were eating seeds on one of Tim's bird feeders.

Spotted Towhees are actually a type of sparrow, one of 20 different sparrow species that have been recorded in the Tehachapi Mountains. The word towhee is typically pronounced "toe-ee," with the "w" and "h" silent.

There is another towhee species, the California Towhee, which is much more common in this area. California Towhees are an overall brown-gray color with cinnamon colored underparts.

Towhees like to forage for seeds on the ground, and they have the classic bill shape of seedeating birds: short, thick and stout. In yards like Tim's with birdseed feeders, towhees are often found on the ground, foraging for the seeds that have been scattered by other birds.

Towhees frequently hold their feet side by side and hop backwards while scratching in leaves and duff to uncover hidden seeds.

During the breeding season, towhees eat lots of insects and other invertebrates, and this high-protein diet is what they feed their nestlings so that they grow quickly.

According to Cornell University, studies of male Spotted Towhees have shown that early in the breeding season, they may spend 70 to 90 percent of their mornings singing. Then once they do pair off with a mate, their singing period drops to only about five percent of their time.

Spotted Towhees nest either on or near the ground, and raise their broods to be the next generation in the Tehachapi Mountains.

NATURAL SIGHTINGS is a regular feature of the Tehachapi News edited by Jon Hammond which showcases photos of the natural beauty that enhances the quality of life in Tehachapi. If you have a good quality image of plants, animals, insects, trees, birds, weather phenomena, etc., taken in the Tehachapi area, you may submit it to the Tehachapi News for possible publication. Submissions can be dropped by the News office in the form of a print or CD, or sent by email to: [email protected].