A fully grown eastern towhee will weigh less than two ounces
This photograph was taken in Salisbury Beach State Park in coastal Massachusetts. These colorful sparrows are called eastern towhees. They can be found in the eastern half of the United States. Interestingly, the eyes are red for most eastern towhees. However, the populations in the southeastern part of the United States have yellow eyes.
These birds grow to roughly seven to nine inches long and have a wingspan up to 11 inches. A fully grown eastern towhee will weigh less than two ounces! The males have a black coloration of their head, upper body, and tail. For the females, these parts are brown. Thus, I believe the eastern towhee in this photograph to be a male. In this range, the eastern towhees can be found from late April to September. In September, these eastern towhees migrate south.
Interestingly, I came across an article claiming there was a vagrant sighting of the eastern towhee in England in 1966. What is a vagrant sighting? A vagrant sighting is when a bird is seen far from its typical range. This can happen for a few reasons. The bird may have been blown to that area during a storm, or it simply could have become disoriented. One of my favorite bird sightings was a vagrant sighting of an Atlantic yellow-nosed albatross. This bird is found off the southern coast of Brazil and eastward until the southeastern coast of Africa. I had seen this bird near Eastern Egg Rock Island in Maine, far from its typical range.
If you are looking for an eastern towhee, they can be found on or near the ground. There are reports of these birds at altitude, but for the most part they are seen near the ground. This is also the area where they make their nests.n Because of this, eastern towhee are targeted by a variety of creatures including other birds, mammals, and some reptiles. Some common predators include racoons, chipmunks, garter snakes, a variety of hawks, and some species of owls.
If you are ever in Massachusetts, Salisbury Beach State Park is an excellent state park to visit. It is right on the Atlantic Ocean, but it also has an area of saltwater marshland (inland side). This area has extreme tide changes that can be as much as a nine-foot difference between high and low tide. Many sea birds hunt at low tide, which is fun to watch. Additionally, there is a pile of rocks that are exposed at low tide where the seals like to gather. Here is a photograph of that area. https://wildboyzphotography.com/harbor-seals/
This area has extreme tide changes that can be as much as a nine-foot difference between high and low tide
Did you know?
- Eastern towhee are also known as chewink joree or joree bird.
- The female eastern towhees build the nest, which can take roughly three to five days.
- Eastern towhee typically lay between two to six eggs per clutch.
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