Scientific Name: Pipilo aberti
Residency: Year-round in western, central and southern Arizona.
Diet: Feeds on insects year round. Forages on leaf litter seeds.
Predators: Hawks and mammals.
Nesting: Nests in shrubs. Abert's Towhees may place nests as high as 15 to 20 feet from the ground. Nests are constructed from cones, non-woody vegetation such as grasses or weed stems. Nest lining consists of animal hair, fine roots, and thinner grasses. Eggs are laid in clutches of five to six, or more. Color ranges from white, bluish, or tan, with little or heavy blotching.
Nesting Records:
Notes: The Abert's Towhee is on the National Audubon's Society's WatchList, which monitors species that some fear may be approaching Threatened or Endangered status. The Abert's Towhee is on the list due to threats against its habitat, rather than observed population decline. There is a strong correlation between damage to riparian areas due to the presence of livestock, and threats to the survival of the Abert's Towhee, a riparian specialist. 
Photo: Photo at right was taken at the Riparian Preserve at the Gilbert Water Ranch on February 18, 2007. For more photos, click on camera icon.
To return to bird species list, close or minimize this window.
