Bird guide · Melozone aberti
Abert's Towhee
What the Abert's towhee eats, where it lives, when it comes to feeders and how to recognise it – with sightings from every US state.
- Season
- Year-round resident
- Size
- 8.9 in (22.5 cm)
- Eats
- cracked corn
- Feeds
- ground
- Most common
- Arizona, Nevada, Utah
Food
What do Abert's towhees eat?
At feeders, Abert's towhees take cracked corn.
Feeds on the ground under dense bushes, scratching with both feet.
Feeder that suits it
A low tray or platform feeder, or seed scattered on the ground below your feeder.
Range
Where do Abert's towhees live?
Desert streams of the Southwest, barely into northwestern Mexico. By share of all bird sightings, Abert's towhees are most common in Arizona (1.4%).
States where Abert's towhees are most common
- Arizona1.4%
- Nevada0.5%
- Utah0.1%
- California0.02%
- New Mexico0.00%
- Minnesota0.00%
Share of all bird sightings in each state that are Abert's towhees, 2019–2024.
Season
Does the Abert's towhee migrate?
Year-round resident. Across the US it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in December.
Share of all bird sightings in the US that are Abert's towhees, by month.
Identification
How to identify the Abert's towhee
Adults: Warm buffy brown with a black face and pale grey bill.
Size: 8.9 in (22.5 cm)
Easily confused with
- Canyon Towhee – usually in more open habitat; different voice
On camera
Getting the Abert's towhee on a feeder camera
Most visits happen on the ground or on low trays. A camera feeder with a wide tray, placed low near cover, catches far more than a hanging tube.
Questions
Abert's Towhee: questions
What do Abert's towhees eat?
At feeders, cracked corn.
Do Abert's towhees migrate?
Year-round resident. Across the US it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in December.
Where do Abert's towhees live?
By share of all bird sightings, they are most common in Arizona, Nevada, Utah, California, New Mexico. They are rare or absent in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware.
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