Bird of the Month: Rufous-sided towhee

The rufous-sided towhee (also called the spotted towhee) is about seven inches in length. It has red-brown eyes, long black tail feathers and a small pointed black bill.

They can be found in Santee’s riparian areas and also in the coastal sage scrub on the hillsides. It prefers dense shrubs to nest and forage under. They also like oaks and tall shrubs to perch on.

They like to forage for insects and seeds in the leaf litter. During the breeding season birds eat mainly insects or other arthropods high in protein. The rest of the year they eat mostly seeds and berries. They even eat acorns.