BREEDING BIRDS: BROWN TOWHEE

BROWN TOWHEE (Pipilo fuscus) Description: Brown or gray-brown above, paler below; buffy throat marked by dark streaks; rust-colored undertail. Pacific coast birds are darker than inland populations. Habitat: Brushy hillsides and wooded canyons; coastal populations occasionally inhabit chapparal or suburban gardens. Diet: Insects and fruit. Drinks morning dew off grasses. Displays: Male approaches female with wings drooped and quivering. Both sexes perform a squealing duet. Nest: Bulky outer structure is made of forb stems, twigs, grass, inner bark. Lining made of fine grasses, string and hair. Eggs: Bluish-white, marked with brown and purple. Call and Song: Differs between Pacific coastal and inland birds. Pacific bird’s call is a metallic, “chink” sound; song is an accelerated series of same. Inland bird’s song is a chipping trill; call is a sharp “chiup.” Breeding bird atlas: To report bird breeding activity in your neighborhood, or to get information on the breeding bird atlas, call Sea and Sage Audubon Society members Sylvia Gallagher, (714) 962-8990, or Nancy Kenyon, (714) 786-3160. Note: Map is divided into 5-kilometer squares so that Audubon Society volunteers can more easily survey areas on a regular basis. Sources: Sea and Sage Audubon Society; “The Birder’s Handbook,” Ehrlich, Dobkin and Wheye, Fireside Books (1988); “Field Guide to the Birds of North America,” National Geographic Society (1987); “Birds of Southern California: Status and Distribution,” Garrett and Dunn, Los Angeles Audubon Society (1981). Indicates 5-kilometer-square areas where breeding activity has been confirmed.