02.16.25: Towhee on limb

‍With some bird species, it’s all but impossible to tell a male from a female when the bird is perched nearby. The plumage of a male is pretty much identical to the plumage of a female. Song Sparrows, Blue Jays, Titmice, Chickadees and Cedar Waxwings are among the many varieties of birds that fit this description.

‍With some other species, the male and female are very similar but the female’s plumage color is more muted, or the female lacks one marking visible on the male. The difference in plumage between sexes is referred to as sexual dichromatism. Eastern Bluebirds and Dark-eyed Juncos are species with more muted plumage on female birds. With many woodpecker varieties the females lack a red patch visible on the males.

‍Then there are bird species where the males and females look very different, taking sexual dichromatism to the extreme. One obvious example is the Northern Cardinal, where the male is bright red and the female is a yellow-brown or olive color.

‍The Eastern Towhee fits in the last category.

‍Towhees are members of the sparrow family, although they are larger than the typical sparrow. The males are black on top with brownish-orange sides and white underneath. Female towhees, like the one shown above, have a rich chocolate brown on top instead of the black feathers found on the males.

‍The Eastern Towhee is an example of a bird that is heard but often not seen.

‍I have a small collection of photos of Eastern Towhees in my files, even though I hear the towhee’s song just about every time I go into the woods. The song sounds like the bird is saying “tow-hee” or “drink your tea,” with the emphasis on the last syllable. So knowing the bird is nearby isn’t the issue because it calls its own name.

‍Seeing it is a different matter. Towhees spend most of their time on the ground, looking for food in the underbrush or concealed in thick growth of bushes. They pop into the open occasionally to sing, but the view of this open space is often obscured by tree limbs or leaves.

‍That makes capturing clear photos of towhees difficult.

‍I found this female towhee near edge of the woods on a spring morning in Sharon Woods Metro Park north of Columbus, Ohio. I had heard a towhee call from that general direction and saw a male fly off when I turned to look. That’s when I noticed this female on a limb of a neighboring tree. It perched long enough for me to get a nice photo.