Bird
California Towhee
Melozone crissalisCalifornia Towhees are large plain brown sparrows with warm cinnamon coloring beneath the tail. They spend much of the day scratching through ground litter or moving between low shrubs in pairs.
sparrowground foragerscrub
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyBeetles, caterpillars, spiders
Predators
- hawks
- owls
- domestic cats
ThreatsFree-roaming cats, window collisions, pesticide exposure, and removal of dense cover
HabitatsChaparral, coastal scrub, brushy slopes, parks, and planted neighborhoods
Life spanOften several years, with some banded individuals living beyond ten years
Classification
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyPasserellidae
- GenusMelozone
- SpeciesMelozone crissalis
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Allow ground-feeding birds space and keep pets away from nesting cover.
Responsible observation
- Listen: A sharp metallic chip often reveals a pair in dense brush.
- Identify: Look for uniform brown plumage with cinnamon under the tail.
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