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Rufous-sided towhee

Pipilo maculatus

Photo by HemaShah
Published on Project Noah
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37.8709, -122.273

Field Notes

Description:

The Spotted Towhee forages for insects and seeds in the leaf liter. During the breeding season birds eat mainly insects or other arthropods high in protein. The rest of the year they eat mostly seeds and berries. They even eat acorns

Habitat:

UC Berkeley Botanical Gardens

Notes:

The Spotted Towhee nests on the ground usually under a Scrub oak, Quercus berberidifolia, or Mountain mahogany, Cercocarpus betuloides or other dense shrubs. Ground Squirrels, Scrub Jays, and Snakes prey on eggs and young birds.

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (2)
HemaShah
Thank you Bird Lady, These are striking birds!
KathleenMcEachern
Nice spotting. Here they usually nest on the ground under the blackberry brambles, and other undergrowth as protection from the racoons, coyotes and other egg-eating types. I enjoy watching them on the ground under my seed feeders. They bring their young to feed there too.
Photographed
PublishedMarch 1, 2013

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