the green-tailed towhee , pipilo chlorurus , is the smallest towhee , but is still one of the larger members of the `` american sparrow '' family emberizidae .
its breeding range covers most of the interior western united states , with a winter range in mexico and the southern edge of the southwestern united states .
this bird can be recognized by the bright green stripes on the edge of its wings .
it has a distinct white throat and a rufous cap .
it is fairly tame , but often stays hidden under a bush .
it is fairly common in habitats with 'sagebrush ' and other such bushes .
it is uncommonly seen because of its tendency to stay under cover .1 large sparrow , olive-green upperparts and pale gray underparts .
crown is rufous , throat is white with black stripes , and bill is gray .
wings and tail are edged with olive-yellow .
rapid bouncy flight , alternates several quick wing beats with wings pulled to sides .
breeds from central oregon and southeastern washington south through mountains to southern california and great basin to southeastern new mexico .
winters at lower elevations and south to southern arizona and central and southern texas ; also migrates to mexico .
prefers dry scrublands , primarily scrub oak , mountain mahogany , sagebrush , saltbrush , serviceberry , and pinyon-juniper .1 there’s nothing quite like the color that gives the green-tailed towhee its name—a deep olive lightening to yellow-green on the edges of the wings and tail .
set off by a gray chest , white throat , and rufous crown , this large sparrow is a colorful resident of the west’s shrubby mountainsides and sagebrush expanses—if you can see one .
they spend their time scratching at leaf litter under dense cover , occasionally popping into view to whistle a song or give a querulous mewing call .
green-tailed towhees are small but chunky songbirds with a big head , stocky body and longish tail .
the bill is thick and sparrowlike .
they are larger than most sparrows and have shorter tails than most other towhees .
green-tailed towhees are grayish birds with olive-yellow wings , back and tail .
the head is strongly marked with a bright rufous crown , white throat , and a dark “mustache” stripe .
green-tailed towhees forage on the ground or in dense shrubby foliage .
they can be hard to see except when males sing from the top of a shrub .
their call , a quiet , catlike mew , can help you find them .
look for green-tailed towhees in shrubby habitats of the west , particularly disturbed areas of montane forest and open slopes in the great basin , sagebrush steppes , and high desert .
in winter , they join mixed flocks in dense mesquite areas of desert washes .
