Abert's Towhee

Scientific name: Pipilo aberti

The Abert’s Towhee is a bird of the southwestern U.S., and is nonmigratory. The Abert’s Towhee was named by ornithologist Spencer Baird in honor of a U.S. Army lieutenant named James Abert, who collected the first specimen for science in New Mexico following the Mexican-American War.

Abert’s Towhees spend most of their lives on the ground, only flying short distances to a low perch now and then before returning to the ground. All of this time spent hopping makes their legs especially strong, enabling them to scratch for seeds and insects on the ground.

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