Albert's Towhee: An Arizona Songbird

The Albert's Towhee is a bird that does not have much of a habitat area, and is restricted to the Southern Desert of the Arizona. They stay in this area range the whole year-round possibly because they have suffered in population decrease due to habitat loss. The Albert's Towhee is named by Spencer Baird in 1852 for Lt. James William Albert who obtained the first specimen.

The Albert's Towhee is a larger size bird with a height of around 8 - 9 inches. Their wingspan is incredible, and will go up to 12 inches at times. Also, they weight around 40 - 55 grams. They are actually a medium-sized songbird with a long tail that sticks out with beautiful feathers. Also, they're a brown-colored, and have a black face where their eyes and cheeks are; however, their beaks are pale beige colored. There is a lot of contrast in the colors of this bird. These birds look the same from females to males.

One of the more distinctive features of the Albert's Towhee is that they will stick with the same mate for the rest of their life, and mates are strongly bonded. The Albert Towhee's will lay pale blue eggs with brown markings on them which are more dense and concentrated on the larger end. Normally, in a year, every time they breed, they will lay 1 - 4 eggs. One of the stronger reasons for their population decrease is that their nests and habitats are being destroyed and disturbed. They will lay their eggs on trees and shrubs in piles of leaves, bark, and weeds. When their chicks hatch, they are helpless and will rely on the help of their parents in order to grow and survive.

These birds are generally located in Arizona along the streams and rivers; however, it is possible to find a couple of them in neighboring states, and in some parts of Northern Mexico although their population numbers are not as large. They make their habitat in cottonwood and willow woodlands along streams and rivers. From the tree trunks and shrubs, they will generally prey on insects for their diet.