Canyon Towhee

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Canyon Towhee
Camouflaged against brown dirt
Conservation status
Least Concern
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Passeriformes Family: Emberizidae Genus: Pipilo Species: P. fuscus
Binomial name
Pipilo fuscus Swainson, 1827

The Canyon Towhee or Brown Towhee, Pipilo fuscus, is a bird of the family Emberizidae. It is native to lower-lying areas from Arizona, southern Colorado, and western Texas south to northwestern Oaxaca, Mexico, mostly avoiding the coasts.

The taxonomy of the group of towhees to which this species belongs is debated. At the higher level, some authors place the towhees in the family Fringillidae. Within the genus, there has been dispute about whether the Brown Towhee is a distinct species from the California Towhee, Pipilo crissalis, found in coastal regions from Oregon and California in the United States through Baja California in Mexico. At present, molecular genetics seems to have settled this issue in favour of separation of the species.

The Canyon Towhee's natural habitat is brush or chaparral. Its skulking habits and nondescript appearance mean that it is not one of the better known birds. It is around 20–25 cm in length and plump, and has a noticeably long tail. It is earthy brown in color, with somewhat lighter underparts and a somewhat darker head with a rufous cap (except that birds in central Mexico have the cap the same color as the back); there is also a slightly reddish area beneath the tail. There is little sexual dimorphism.

The Canyon Towhee feeds on the ground or in low scrub rather than in the tree canopy. Near human habitation, it is often seen in parking lots, where it feeds on insects on the cars' grills and takes cover under the cars when disturbed.

Contents 1 References 1.1 External links 2 Further reading 2.1 Book 2.2 Thesis 2.3 Articles

[edit] References

• BirdLife International (2004). Pipilo fuscus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 10 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
• Zink, R. M., and Dittmann, D. L. (1991). "Evolution of brown towhees—mitochondrial-DNA evidence". The Condor 93: 98–105. 
• Johnson, R. R., and L. T. Haight. 1996. Canyon Towhee (Pipilo fuscus). In The Birds of North America, No. 264 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.
• Howell, Steve N. G., and Sophie Webb (1994). A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-854012-4. 

[edit] External links

• Page with photographs and recording from birdfotos.com
• North American Bird Sounds—Parulidae through Icteridae with recordings and a link to a photograph.

[edit] Further reading

[edit] Book

• Johnson, R. R., and L. T. Haight. 1996. Canyon Towhee (Pipilo fuscus). In The Birds of North America, No. 264 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists’ Union, Washington, D.C.

[edit] Thesis

• Davis J. Ph.D. (1997). DISTRIBUTION AND VARIATION OF THE BROWN TOWHEES (AVIAN GENUS PIPILO). University of California, Berkeley, United States -- California.

• Dawson WR. Ph.D. (1953). EFFECTS OF HEAT ON BODY TEMPERATURE, WATER ECONOMY, AND METABOLISM OF THE BROWN AND ABERT TOWHEES, PIPILO FUSCUS SENICULA AND PIPILO ABERTI DUMETICOLUS. University of California, Los Angeles, United States -- California.

• Dunning JBJ. Ph.D. (1986). FORAGING CHOICE IN THREE SPECIES OF PIPILO (AVES: PASSERIFORMES): A TEST OF THE THRESHOLD CONCEPT (BAYESIAN, TOWHEE). The University of Arizona, United States -- Arizona.

• Randell SM. M.S. (1996). A study of avian populations and behavior at a proposed wind energy production facility near Fort Davis, Texas. Sul Ross State University, United States -- Texas.

• Tvrdik GM. Ph.D. (1977). AGGRESSIVE AND COURTSHIP BEHAVIOR IN TWO RACES OF THE BROWN TOWHEE (PIPILO FUSCUS). University of California, Berkeley, United States -- California.

[edit] Articles

• Austin GT & Smith EL. (1974). Use of Burrows by Brown Towhees and Black-Throated Sparrows. Auk. vol 91, no 1.

• Avise JC, Patton JC & Aquadro CF. (1980). Evolutionary Genetics of Birds 2. Conservative Protein Evolution in North American Sparrows and Relatives. Systematic Zoology. vol 29, no 4. p. 323-334.

• Carson RJ & Spicer GS. (2003). A phylogenetic analysis of the emberizid sparrows based on three mitochondrial genes. Molecular Phylogenetics & Evolution. vol 29, no 1. p. 43-57.

• Clark GAJ. (1974). Foot Scute Differences among Certain North American Oscines. Wilson Bulletin. vol 86, no 2. p. 104-109.

• Dodge AG, Fry AJ, Blackwell RC & Zink RM. (1995). Comparison of phylogenies derived from two molecular data sets in the avian genera Pipilo and Spizella. Wilson Bulletin. vol 107, no 4. p. 641-654.

• Gorenzel WP, Mastrup SA & Fitzhugh EL. (1995). Characteristics of brushpiles used by birds in Northern California. Southwestern Naturalist. vol 40, no 1. p. 86-93.

• Pearson OP. (1979). Spacing and Orientation among Feeding Golden-Crowned Sparrows Zonotrichia-Atricapilla. Condor. vol 81, no 3. p. 278-285.

• Pence DB & Casto S. (1975). 2 New Species and New Records of Nasal Mites of the Genus Sternostoma Acarina Rhinonyssinae from Birds in Texas USA. Journal of Parasitology. vol 61, no 2. p. 360-368.

• Peterson AT & Navarro-Siguenza AG. (2006). Consistency of taxonomic treatments: A response to Remsen (2005) - Commentary. Auk. vol 123, no 3. p. 885-887.

• Pulliam HR & Mills GS. (1977). The Use of Space by Wintering Sparrows. Ecology. vol 58, no 6. p. 1393-1399.

• Riddle BR & Hafner DJ. (2006). A step-wise approach to integrating phylogeographic and phylogenetic biogeographic perspectives on the history of a core North American warm deserts biota. Journal of Arid Environments. vol 66, no 3. p. 435-461.

• Stahlecker DW. (2002). First report of a ground nest of Canyon Towhees. Wilson Bulletin. vol 114, no 3. p. 289-290.

• Sutton GM. (1968). Young Curve-Billed Thrasher Attended by Adult Brown Towhee Toxostoma-Curvirostre Pipilo-Fuscus. Auk. vol 85, no 1. p. 127-128.

• Williams PL & Koenig WD. (1980). Water Dependence of Birds in a Temperate Oak Woodland. Auk. vol 97, no 2. p. 339-350.

• Zink RM. (1988). Evolution of Brown Towhees Allozymes Morphometrics and Species Limits. Condor. vol 90, no 1. p. 72-82.

• Zink RM & Dittman DL. (1991). Evolution of Brown Towhees Mitochondrial DNA Evidence. Condor. vol 93, no 1. p. 98-105.

• Zink RM, Kessen AE, Line TV & Blackwell-Rago RC. (2001). Comparative phylogeography of some aridland bird species. Condor. vol 103, no 1. p. 1-10.

• Zink RM & McKitrick MC. (1995). The debate over species concepts and its implications for ornithology. Auk. vol 112, no 3. p. 701-719.

• Zink RM, Weller SJ & Blackwell RC. (1998). Molecular phylogenetics of the avian genus Pipilo and a biogeographic argument for taxonomic uncertainty. Molecular Phylogenetics & Evolution. vol 10, no 2. p. 191-201.