Though more common during the warmer months, rufous-sided towhees can be found in the Midwest throughout the year. But even in summer, these reclusive birds are not terribly common in residential areas. Favoring brushy slopes and wood margins, they scratch for insects and seeds beneath thickets, shrubs and cedar groves.
This past week, which was characterized by frigid temperatures and extensive snow cover, a lone towhee turned up at our backyard feeder. Joining the usual assortment of suburban "feeder birds," the towhee would huddle in the sun on a nearby branch and intermittently drop beneath the feeder to feast on fallen seed; I'm sure he also took advantage of various wild berries along our wood border.
While I have seen rufuous-sided towhees on numerous occasions and have observed them in abundance across the Front Range foothills, to host this single bird, somewhat out of place among the standard cast of winter visitors, has been a special treat during an otherwise brutal week. Such events are among the special joys of having a backyard feeder; uncommon visitors or transients, attracted by the commotion of the usual suspects, make a grand appearance. Indeed, many bird watchers, including most novice birders, have found new species (for their life or backyard list) in this way.
