Melozone aberti
adult
Abert’s Towhee is a long-tailed songbird that is rather plain-looking except for its dark face. The sexes are similar. Adults have sandy-brown upperparts that are darkest on the wings and tail. The head and underparts are mostly pinkish buff except for the black face, which contrasts with the pale bill; the undertail is pinkish orange. Juveniles are similar to an adult but have faint streaking on the underparts and indistinct pale wingbars.
Abert’s Towhee is present year-round in its favored arid habitats in southwest U.S.A. Typically it keeps to dense cover, scratching the ground for insects and seeds; birds can sometimes be located by listening for feeding activity.
adult
FACT FILE
LENGTH 9.5 in (24 cm)
FOOD Invertebrates and seeds
HABITAT Desert woodlands, particularly riverside locations
STATUS Locally common resident
VOICE Song is series of squeaky pik notes that ends in a trill. Call is shrill peek
