Canyon Towhee
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| Brown or Canyon Towhee | ||||||||||||||
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| Pipilo fuscus Swainson,, 1827 |
The Canyon Towhee or Brown Towhee, Pipilo fuscus, is a bird of the family Emberizidae, native to lower-lying areas of the south-western United States.
The taxonomy of the group of towhees to which this species belongs is debated. At the higher level, some authors place the towhees in the family Fringillidae. Within the genus, there has been dispute about whether the Brown Towhee is a distinct species from the California Towhee, Pipilo crissalis, found in the coastal regions of the western Oregon and California in the United States and Baja California in Mexico. At present, molecular genetics seems to have settled this issue in favour of separation of the species.
The Canyon Towhee's natural habitat is brush or chaparral. Its skulking habits and nondescript appearance mean that it is not one of the better known birds. It is around 20-25 cm in length, and has a noticeably long tail. It is earthy brown in color, with somewhat lighter underparts and a somewhat darker head with a rufous cap; there is also a slightly reddish area beneath the tail. There is little sexual dimorphism.
The Canyon Towhee feeds on the ground or in low scrub rather than in the tree canopy.
References
- Zink, R. M., & Dittmann, D. L. (1991). Evolution of brown towhees - mitochondrial-DNA evidence. Condor 93: 98-105.