Look down! That noise under your shrubs is a shy, ground-feeding towhee in search of its next meal.
When dry leaves rustle beneath your shrubs, you may think it’s a fidgety squirrel at first, but look closer. If you hear an odd, sharp call through the noise, a towhee may be responsible for the racket. Crouch down low and peer through the dense branches to catch a glimpse of this secretive visitor.
A little larger than their sparrow relatives, towhees spend a lot of time on the hunt for seeds and insects by scratching at dry leaf litter on the ground. You might assume that a bird stands on one foot and scratches with the other, but towhees have their own approach: They jump in the air and kick backward with both feet, sending dry leaves flying and exposing their favorite foods.
Anywhere in the eastern half of the U.S., scratching sounds that come from under dense thickets could reveal the presence of an eastern towhee. Males of this species are mostly black and white while females are mostly brown and white, but they both show a wide stripe of reddish brown, or rufous, along the side of the body.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February - March 2017 من Birds & Bloom.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February - March 2017 من Birds & Bloom.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Rainbow of Colors
Summer ts prime time for picturesque hummingbird sightings
Climbing On Up
Color your garden with these flowering vines
Beauties of the Southwest
Learn how and where to find North America’s showiest hummingbird
Cooling Off
Here’s how to help hummingbirds during extreme temperatures
Ask the Experts
Pros offer gardening advice and insightful info on birds
flower power!
These extraordinary Photo Contest entries showcase the subtle and diverse beauty of backyard blooms
SMALL BIRDS, BIG THRILLS
Costa Rica is full of dazzling hummingbirds-here are eight to add to your international bird bucket list
Backyard Berry Patch
Follow this guide for growing a bumper crop of strawberries at home
Clever Cowbirds
Learn more about these birds that are infamous for letting others raise their young
Ask the Experts
Pros offer spring plant care tips and tough IDs