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Eastern towhee

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Eastern Towhee
Male Eastern Towhee.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Aves
Order:
Passeriformes
Family:
Emberizidae
Genus:
Pipilo
Species:
P. erythrophthalmus
Binomial name
Pipilo erythrophthalmus
(Linnaeus, 1758)

The Eastern Towhee, Pipilo erythrophthalmus, 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.

Adults have rufous sides, a white belly and a long dark tail with white edges. The eyes are red, white for birds in the southeast. Males have a dark head, upper body and tail; these parts are brown in the female.

Their breeding habitat is brushy areas across eastern North America. They nest either low in bushes or on the ground under shrubs.

Northern birds migrate to the southern United States.

There has been one record of this species as a vagrant to western Europe; a single bird in Great Britain in 1966.

These birds forage on the ground or in low vegetation. They mainly eat insects, acorns, seeds and berries.

The call is Drink your teeeee; the word "towhee" imitates this call.

Eastern Towhee
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References

  • Template:IUCN2006 Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pipilo erythrophthalmus.
Wikispecies has information related to Pipilo erythrophthalmus.
Female Eastern Towhee.

Further reading

Book

  • Greenlaw, J. S. 1996. Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus). In The Birds of North America, No. 262 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.
  • Khanna, Hitesh. (). Comparing degradation in the Eastern towhee's (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) song introduction and trill. In Advances in Ethology. Taborsky, M. [Editor], Taborsky, B. [Editor]. Advances in Ethology; Contributions to the XXV International Ethological Conference. 1997. 117. Series Information: Advances in Ethology. Vol. 32.

Thesis

  • Ball RM, Jr. Ph.D. (1990). The phylogeography of avian species: Observations and expectations. University of Georgia, United States -- Georgia.
  • Bay MD. Ph.D. (1994). Effects of area and vegetation on breeding bird communities in early successional oldfields. University of Arkansas, United States -- Arkansas.
  • Becker BW. Ph.D. (1981). SITE SELECTION AND NESTING SUCCESS OF OLDFIELD SONGBIRDS. Michigan State University, United States -- Michigan.
  • Beltz JD. Ph.D. (1964). AN ANALYSIS OF VOCALIZATIONS OF THE RUFOUS-SIDED TOWHEE, PIPILO ERYTHROPHTHALMUS OREGONUS (BELL). Oregon State University, United States -- Oregon.
  • Davis FW. Ph.D. (1968). THE EFFECTS OF DDT ON A BREEDING POPULATION OF THE RUFOUS-SIDED TOWHEE (PIPILO E. ERYTHROPHTHALMUS, LINNAEUS). University of Massachusetts Amherst, United States -- Massachusetts.
  • Dey AD. Ph.D. (2005). The importance of spatial scale and non-forest habitats in predicting occurrence of area-sensitive forest birds. Rutgers The State University of New Jersey - New Brunswick, United States -- New Jersey.
  • Dickinson JCJ. Ph.D. (1951). GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION IN THE TOWHEE, PIPILO ERYTHROPHTHALMUS (LINNAEUS). University of Florida, United States -- Florida.
  • Elekonich MM. Ph.D. (1997). Female-female territorial aggression and its hormonal control in the song sparrow. University of Washington, United States -- Washington.
  • Ewert DN. Ph.D. (1978). SONG OF THE RUFOUS-SIDED TOWHEE (PIPILO ERYTHROPHTHALMUS) ON LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK. City University of New York, United States -- New York.
  • Greenlaw JS. Ph.D. (1969). THE IMPORTANCE OF FOOD IN THE BREEDING SYSTEM OF THE RUFOUS-SIDED TOWHEE,PIPILO ERYTHROPHTHALMUS (L.). Rutgers The State University of New Jersey - New Brunswick, United States -- New Jersey.
  • Gubanyi JA. Ph.D. (2001). Effects of high deer abundance on forests in eastern Nebraska. The University of Nebraska - Lincoln, United States -- Nebraska.
  • Hobart HH. Ph.D. (1991). Comparative karyology in nine-primaried oscines (Aves). The University of Arizona, United States -- Arizona.
  • Kerpez TA. Ph.D. (1994). Effects of group selection and clearcut openings on wildlife in Appalachian hardwood forests. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, United States -- Virginia.
  • Khanna H. Ph.D. (2000). Signal design: Songs of two sister species of birds, the eastern towhee and the spotted towhee. The Ohio State University, United States -- Ohio.
  • Lanham JD. Ph.D. (1997). Attributes of avian communities in early-successional, clearcut habitats in the mountains and upper piedmont of South Carolina. Clemson University, United States -- South Carolina.
  • Morimoto DC. Ph.D. (1989). Avian community structure and habitat relationships in the southeastern Massachusetts pine barrens. Boston University, United States -- Massachusetts.
  • Nelson BS. Ph.D. (2004). Channels for vocal communication in a small passerine bird. Indiana University, United States -- Indiana.
  • Pearson SM. Ph.D. (1991). Influence of the surrounding landscape on wintering bird communities of old-field habitats. University of Georgia, United States -- Georgia.
  • Skaley JE. Ph.D. (1981). CLASSIFYING AVIAN HABITAT WITH AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS. Cornell University, United States -- New York.
  • Sladek BG. M.S. (2006). Timber growth and avian community responses to prescribed fire and selective herbicide in thinned, mid-rotation afforested loblolly pine plantations in Mississippi. Mississippi State University, United States -- Mississippi.
  • Thurber DK. Ph.D. (1992). Impacts of a gypsy moth outbreak on bird habitats and populations. West Virginia University, United States -- West Virginia.
  • Whitehead MA. Ph.D. (2003). Seasonal variation in food resource availability and avian communities in four habitat types in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Clemson University, United States -- South Carolina.

Articles

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  • Barger NR. (1969). Towhee Pipilo-Erythrophthalmus. Wisconsin Conservation Bulletin. vol 34, no 6. p. 28-29.
  • Bell JL & Whitmore RC. (1997). Eastern towhee numbers increase following defoliation by gypsy moths. Auk. vol 114, no 4. p. 708-716.
  • Bell JL & Whitmore RC. (2000). Bird nesting ecology in a forest defoliated by gypsy moths. Wilson Bulletin. vol 112, no 4. p. 524-531.
  • Borror DJ. (1975). SONGS OF RUFOUS-SIDED TOWHEE. Condor. vol 77, no 2. p. 183-195.
  • Breil DA & Moyle SM. (1976). Bryophytes Used in Construction of Bird Nests. Bryologist. vol 79, no 1. p. 95-98.
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  • Cudworth J. (1979). RUFOUS-SIDED TOWHEE IN NORTH-HUMBERSIDE. British Birds. vol 72, no 6. p. 291-293.
  • Davis FW. (1968). The Effects of Ddt on a Breeding Population of the Rufous-Sided Towhee Pipilo-Erythrophthalmus-Erythrophthalmus. Dissertation Abstracts B Sciences & Engineering. vol 29, no 1.
  • Denton JF & Krissinger WA. (1975). Lyperosomum-Byrdi New-Species Digenea Dicrocoeliidae from the Rufous-Sided Towhee Pipilo-Erythrophthalmus with a Revised Synopsis of the Genus. Proceedings of the Helminthological Society of Washington. vol 42, no 1. p. 38-42.
  • Ewert DN. (1979). Development of Song of a Rufous-Sided Towhee Pipilo-Erythrophthalmus Raised in Acoustic Isolation. Condor. vol 81, no 3. p. 313-316.
  • Ewert DN. (1980). Recognition of Conspecific Song by the Rufous-Sided Towhee Pipilo-Erythrophthalmus. Animal Behaviour. vol 28, no 2. p. 379-386.
  • Ewert DN & Kroodsma DE. (1994). Song sharing and repertoires among migratory and resident rufous-sided towhees. Condor. vol 96, no 1. p. 190-196.
  • Faanes CA. (1987). Breeding Birds and Vegetation Structure in Western North Dakota USA Wooded Draws. Prairie Naturalist. vol 19, no 4. p. 209-220.
  • Fink AD, Thompson FR, III & Tudor AA. (2006). Songbird use of regenerating forest, glade, and edge habitat types. Journal of Wildlife Management. vol 70, no 1. p. 180-188.
  • Franzblau MA & Collins JP. (1980). Test of a Hypothesis of Territory Regulation in an Insectivorous Bird Pipilo-Erythrophthalmus-Montanus by Experimentally Increasing Prey Abundance. Oecologia. vol 46, no 2. p. 164-170.
  • Gates JE & Gates DM. (1975). Apparent Brooding Behavior of a Male Rufous-Sided Towhee. Bird Banding. vol 46, no 3. p. 253-254.
  • Ginsberg HS, Buckley PA, Balmforth MG, Zhioua E, Mitra S & Buckley FG. (2005). Reservoir competence of native North American birds for the Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi. Journal of Medical Entomology. vol 42, no 3. p. 445-449.
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  • Greenlaw JS. (1973). An Erythristic Specimen of the Rufous-Sided Towhee. Auk. vol 90, no 2. p. 428-429.
  • Greenlaw JS. (1978). The Relation of Breeding Schedule and Clutch Size to Food Supply in the Rufous-Sided Towhees. Condor. vol 80, no 1. p. 24-33.
  • Greenlaw JS, Shackelford CE & Brown RE. (1998). Call mimicry by eastern towhees and its significance in relation to auditory learning. Wilson Bulletin. vol 110, no 3. p. 431-434.
  • Hagan JMI. (1993). Decline of the rufous-sided towhee in the eastern United States. Auk. vol 110, no 4. p. 863-874.
  • Herbert J & Nollenberger EL. (2006). Population trends in six bird species: Black-throated Blue Warbler; Pileated Woodpecker; Grey Catbird; Wood Thrush; Eastern Towhee; and Golden-crowned, Kinglet; in a 5 hectare oak-hickory woodlot in southcentral Pennsylvania. Journal of the Pennsylvania Academy of Science. vol 79, p. 110-111.
  • Jehl JRJ & Parkes KC. (1982). The Status of the Avi Fauna of the Revillagigedo Islands Mexico. Wilson Bulletin. vol 94, no 1. p. 1-19.
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  • Kroodsma RL. (1984). Effect of Edge on Breeding Forest Bird Species. Wilson Bulletin. vol 96, no 3. p. 426-436.
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  • Maier TJ & DeGraaf RM. (2000). Rhodamine-injected eggs to photographically identify small nest-predators. Journal of Field Ornithology. vol 71, no 4. p. 694-701.
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  • Morimoto DC & Wasserman FE. (1991). Dispersion Patterns and Habitat Associations of Rufous-Sided Towhees Common Yellowthroats and Prairie Warblers in the Southeastern Massachusetts USA Pine Barrens. Auk. vol 108, no 2. p. 264-276.
  • Morimoto DC & Wasserman FE. (1991). Intersexual and Interspecific Differences in the Foraging Behavior of Rufous-Sided Towhees Common Yellowthroats and Prairie Warblers in the Pine Barrens of Southeastern Massachusetts. Journal of Field Ornithology. vol 62, no 4. p. 436-449.
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