Abert’s Towhee, Melozone aberti

Abert’s Towhee, Melozone aberti. Photograph taken within the greater Palm Springs area of southern California, March 2021. Photography courtesy of Dr. Tom Bartol, Carlsbad, California.

Family: Passerelliade

Background and Identification

Resembling finches (towhees are distinguished by their longer tail), Abert’s Towhee is classified as a brown towhee. Also in this classification are the California Towhee, Canyon Towhee, and White-throated Towhee. Recent gene analysis of this species suggests that Abert’s Towhee and other brown towhees are more closely related to ground sparrows than other towhee species that are mostly black or green in their plumage color.

 

Habitat and Geographical Range

 

Common Misidentifications

 

Conservation Status

From a conservation perspective, this species is categorized by the IUCN as Least Concern.