The eastern towhee is 6.8-8.2 inches (17.3-20.8 cm) in length with a wingspan of 7.9-11.0 inches (20-28 cm).
It has red-brown eyes, long black tail feathers, and a small, pointed black bill. The male eastern towhee has a black head, neck, and shoulders; a white chest; and rust-red wings and sides.
The female has the same color pattern as the male, but where he is black, she is a dark brown.
The eastern towhee lives in thickets and at the edges of brushy woodlands.
The eastern towhee scratches under leaves looking for food. Nuts, seeds, and fruits make up most of its diet. It also eats some insects.
The female makes a nest of weeds, leaves, bark, and stems on or near the ground in a well-covered area. Sometimes, the male brings materials for the nest.
The female lays 2-6 eggs. The male sometimes brings the female food during incubation. The female incubates the eggs.
The chicks hatch in a little under two weeks, and both parents feed them. The chicks fledge when they are 10-12 days old. The female usually has two broods a year.
The eastern towhee has a lifespan of around 6 years in the wild. The oldest known eastern towhee lived to be 12 years old.
Eastern towhees have regional accents. An eastern towhee’s call varies depending on where it lives. Birds in the eastern part of its range sound nothing like birds in the western parts of its range.
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Eastern towhee breeds in New Hampshire and is found across the state, but its population has been declining largely due to habitat loss.
The eastern towhee breeds from southern Manitoba, Canada, east to Quebec, Canada, and south to the Gulf coast and southern Florida.
It winters in the southern part of its range.
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