Abert's Towhee - (Pipilo aberti)

A shy, resident "bush bird" of the Imperial Valley. Short, fast hops make it disappear into the bush when intruders approach. A unique species because of its limited range, it is very common here. Look for them near clumps of quail bush that grow around farm fields. They can usually be seen locally at Fig Lagoon, The Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters, or at Betty's Kitchen Watchable Wildlife Area (near Yuma) A black face-mask and light-colored bill is the only difference in coloration, size and shape when compared to the Brown (aka California) Towhee. Both Brown Towhee and the colorful Rufous-Sided (aka Eastern) Towhee can be found in the mountain areas to our west.

If you are interested in learning more about this bird online - I recommend you start with the Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD. http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/Infocenter/infocenter.html

They present photographs, songs, identification tips, maps, and life history information for North American birds - including the Abert's Towhee

OTHER LINKS FOR THIS BIRD:

California or Brown Towhee - Comparasion information from the PWRC Bird ID Infocenter.

Eastern or Rufous-Sided Towhee - Comparasion information from the PWRC Bird ID Infocenter.

The following "WAV" format sound file is copyrighted by Doug Von Gausig of Sedona, Arizona, as part of "The Sounds of Nature" Web site at www.naturesongs.com:

•  http://www.naturesongs.com/abto3.wav - Abert's Love Song