On today's edition of #rbwinterwildlifewednesday we are featuring one of the many species of birds that can be found at R. B. Winter State Park, the Eastern Towhee!
Eastern Towhees may be found across Pennsylvania, where you'll frequently see them near clearings and thickets within open woodlands or in forests regenerating from forest fires or logging. Males have a distinctive coloration with a black head and black, reddish-brown sides and a white stomach. Females are similarly colored to males, only differing in that their head and upper body are more brownish colored.
Eastern Towhees are one of the most widespread and common birds found in Pennsylvania. Males are often seen perched high in trees, singing and protecting their territory from interloping males. If you've spent much time in the woodlands of Pennsylvania, you've undoubtedly heard these birds as they scour the forest floor for food. When searching for food, they often turn over leaves by hopping backward and dragging both feet across the forest floor in search of beetles, bugs, spiders, moths, seeds, and berries in a display whose volume drastically outweighs their small size.
The next time you're hiking the Rapid Run Nature Trail or other trails around the park, keep your eyes open for the Eastern Towhee!
Photo by Friends of R. B. Winter State Park Board Member Kyle Fawcett.
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