THE BIRD BOOK 



587- Towhee. Pipilo eri/tlirophthalmus 



cryihrophthalmus. 



Range. — North America east of the Plains, 

 breeding from the Gulf to Manitoba. 



The well known Towhee, Ground Robin or 

 Chewink is a bird commonly met with in east- 

 ern United States; it frequents thickets, 

 swamps and open woods where they nest gen- 

 erally upon the ground and sometimes in 

 bushes near the ground. The nests are well 

 made of grasses, lined with 

 fine grasses and rootlets, 

 and the eggs, which are laid 

 in May or June, are pinkish 

 white, generally finely 

 sprinkled but sometimes 

 with bold markings of light 

 reddish brown, with great 

 variations. Size .90 x .70. 

 Towhees are noisy birds and at frequent inter- 

 vals, while they are scratching among the 

 for their food they will stop and utter their familiar "tow-hee" or "che- 

 and then again will mount to the summit of a tree or bush and sing their 



Purplish white 



Towhee or Chewin k 



leaves 

 wink" 

 sweet refrain for a long time 



587a. White-eyed Towhee. Pipilo erythrophthalmus alien'/. 



Range. — Florida and the Atlantic coast to South Carolina. 



This variety is like the preceding except that the eyes are white instead of 

 red. There is no difference between their nesting habits and eggs, except that 

 they much more frequently, and in some localities, almost always, nest in trees. 



588. Arctic Towhee. Pipilo maculatus arcticus. 



Range. — Great Plains, breeding from northern United States to the Saskat- 

 chewan. 



This species is similar to the eastern Towhee but has the scapulars and 

 coverts tipped with white. They nest abundantly in suit- 

 able localities in Montana and North Dakota and more com- / - 

 monly north of our borders. Like the eastern Towhee, they 

 nest on the ground under the protection of overhanging 

 bushes, the nests being made of strips of bark and grasses 

 and lined with fine rootlets. Their three or four eggs, which 

 are laid during May, June or July, are pinkish white, pro- 

 fusely speckled with reddish brown; very similar to those 

 of the eastern Towhee. Size .92 x .70. Pinkish white 



588a. Spurred Towhee. Pipilo maculatus montanus. 



Range. — Breeds from Mexico to British Columbia, west of the Rockies. 



Similar to the last but with less white on the back. The nesting habits and 

 eggs are like those of the Towhee, but in some localities the nests are most 

 often found in bushes above the ground. 



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