Many birds attract our attention with their colorful plumage; certain buntings, grosbeaks, tanagers, orioles and waders come to mind. Others have distinctive calls; even novice birders can identify magpies, crows, blue jays, flickers and belted kingfishers without actually seeing them.
Then there are the scratchers. While most ground-feeding birds sift through leaf litter for seeds or insects, some species are especially vigorous in this regard; robins, thrashers, hermit thrushes and fox sparrows are excellent examples. But the king scratchers are the towhees and their energetic feeding style often calls our attention to their presence.
Of the four species in North America, the rufous-sided towhee is the most common and widespread; this species, which has eastern and western races, is a permanent resident in much of the U.S., though it departs more northern regions in winter. Here in Colorado, it is joined by the green-tailed towhee, which inhabits foothill shrublands and canyons during the warmer months. The other two species, Abert's and brown towhees, are restricted to desert and semiarid regions of the Southwest.
