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Eastern Towhee
[Pipilo erythrophthalmus]
[Length 8.5 in. Wingspan 10.5 in.]
The Eastern Towhee (formerly known as the eastern race of the Rufous-sided Towhee) breeds throughout most of the eastern US and the far southeast of Canada.
It withdraws from the northern portion of its range in winter.
Although the black and rufous plumage of the male is quite distinctive, the bird is more often heard than seen, giving its "Drink your tea" song and "Chewink" call note from the cover of dense bushes, where it forages in the leaf litter.
It is often heard as it rapidly hops backward, raking the leaves with its feet to expose insects and other invertebrates.
Females have the same basic color pattern, except that the black is replaced by a rich chocolate brown.
This male was photographed along the edge of a trail at the Sandy Hook unit of the Gateway National Recreation Area in New Jersey, USA.
Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm f4 EDAF lens on Kodachrome 200 film.
(Date: May 1996)
(use image name "towhee" for inquiries)
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