78 The Birds of Albany County 



TOWHEE; Chewink. — Pipilo erythrophthalmus. 8.36 



Common Summer Resident 



Field marks. — Entire upper parts black; white markings on 

 wings and tail; belly white; sides bright chestnut; keeps 

 tail well elevated; speaks its name, "Che-wink," 

 frequently, with the last syllable long drawn out; fond 

 of keeping near the ground. 



I confess to an extreme fondness for this unobtrusive and 

 inoffensive feathered friend of my walks in many parts of our 

 country. He has no wonderful accomplishments and is 

 plainly, though handsomely, garbed in hues that reflect the 

 tones of the earth. Occasionally he flies up on a low limb 

 and utters his brisk che-Tvink once or twice, and if nothing 

 particular is discovered in the vicinity, drops back to the 

 ground and resumes his scratching for food. The noise the 

 Towhee makes while poking among the leaves for nice, fat 

 grubs and insects, is one of the familiar sounds that greet the 

 ears of the stroller through old pastures that have become 

 overgrown with birch sprouts and brambles, and along the 

 outskirts of woods. 



Late in the afternoon, Towhee likes to forsake the ground 

 for a period, mount to the topmost branches of a medium- 

 sized tree and sing its only song — if such it might be 

 called. I remember that when walking one day afield with 

 my mother, while I was quite a little chap, a Towhee was 

 going through its limited repertoire on one of these nearby 

 heights. "Do hear that sweet bird say 'Drink your tea,' ' 

 she exclaimed, and ever since that day, that has been the 

 bird's song to me. Ralph Hoffman thinks that the song 



