The Eastern Towhee and the Spotted Towhee are North American birds recognized by their distinctive calls and their habit of foraging among leaf litter on the ground. They use a unique two-footed backward-scratching motion to uncover insects and seeds. When breeding, their nesting habits favor locations that offer exceptional concealment. This preference dictates their placement strategy, habitat selection, and construction process.
The Towhee’s Unique Nest Placement
Towhees prioritize concealment, choosing nest sites either directly on the ground or very close to it. A majority of nests are situated on the ground, where the female scrapes a small depression into the soil before building the nest cup. This ground placement is usually sheltered beneath dense grass, a low-growing shrub, or a thick layer of fallen leaves, which camouflages the structure from predators.
If the nest is not directly on the ground, it is rarely found more than a few feet above it, usually within a low shrub or tangle of vines. For the Eastern Towhee, these elevated nests are typically less than four feet high, tucked into thickets of grape, honeysuckle, or greenbrier. Spotted Towhees also favor this low placement, though some rare instances report nests as high as twelve feet. The placement’s defining characteristic is not the specific height but the surrounding density, ensuring the nest is deeply hidden.
Ideal Habitat and Landscape Selection
The choice of where to nest is driven by the towhee’s requirement for an ecological structure that provides both cover and foraging access. They are strongly associated with early successional habitats, which are areas of transition between open fields and mature forests. This preference leads them to select forest edges, overgrown fields, and the dense, brushy margins of woodlands.
The ideal landscape offers a mosaic of dense shrub cover and significant amounts of leaf litter. This allows the birds to forage on the ground while remaining close to protective vegetation. Backyard landscapes that are unkempt, featuring thickets and dense brush piles, also become attractive nesting areas. The dense shrubs provide protection for the young, while adjacent open areas allow easy access to the insect-rich leaf litter required for food.
Construction Materials and Egg Characteristics
The female towhee is solely responsible for constructing the nest, which is an open, cup-shaped structure built for durability. The exterior layer is composed of coarse, bulky materials that provide the initial framework and support. This outer shell is typically woven together from dead leaves, thin twigs, bark strips, and occasionally leaf stems.
Inside this robust outer layer, the female creates a refined inner cup that is soft and smooth for the eggs and nestlings. This lining consists of finer materials, such as thin, dry grasses, rootlets, pine needles, or sometimes animal hair. The finished nest is a compact structure, usually taking the female about three to five days to complete.
Towhee eggs, typically numbering three to five per clutch, exhibit distinct coloration that aids in their concealment. They are usually a base color of creamy white, pale gray, or greenish-white. The eggs are characterized by a heavy pattern of spotting and speckling in shades of brown, reddish-brown, purple, or gray. This concentration of markings is often most pronounced around the larger end of the egg.