Canyon Towhee
Melozone fusca
Large, stocky, long-tailed sparrow. Uniform matte brown body, with buffy throat and orange undertail coverts. Also note reddish-brown crown and messy dark streaks on upper breast (usually with a dark central spot). Occurs in deserts and dry grasslands with scattered dense shrubs. Forages primarily for seeds by running and hopping on the ground. Visits feeders. Essentially no range overlap with the very similar California Towhee; also note Canyon has reddish crown and lacks rusty tones on face.
识别特征
It is 19 to 25 cm (7.5 to 9.8 in) long, and has a noticeably long tail, at 8.2 to 11 cm (3.2 to 4.3 in). This species weighs from .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);clip-path:polygon(0px 0px,0px 0px,0px 0px);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}36.5 to 67 g (1+1⁄4 to 2+1⁄4 oz), though on average weigh only around 45 g (1+1⁄2 oz). Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 8.2 to 10.1 cm (3.2 to 4.0 in), the bill is 1.4 to 1.7 cm (0.55 to 0.67 in) and the tarsus is 2.3 to 2.7 cm (0.91 to 1.06 in). 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.
分类信息
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[citation needed]. Within the genus, there has been dispute about whether the canyon towhee is a distinct species from the California towhee (Melozone 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.
- 学名
- Melozone fusca
- 命名信息
- (Swainson, 1827)
- 目
- Passeriformes
- 科
- Passerellidae
- 属
- Melozone
分布与栖息地
The towhee is native to lower-lying areas from Arizona, southern Colorado, New Mexico and western Texas south to northwestern Oaxaca, Mexico, mostly avoiding the coasts. Its natural habitat is brush or chaparral.
- 迁徙
- Resident species
行为
The 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' grilles and takes cover under the cars when disturbed.
保护状况
- 种群趋势
- declining
照片
分布
鸟叫声
其他鸟类
Western Rock Nuthatch
Sitta neumayer
Typical-looking nuthatch with gray upperparts, dingy white underparts, and a black mask. Favors mountainous rocky areas, and is often seen actively feeding on boulders and cliffs, not normally on trees. Builds a unique, huge mud nest that it sticks to cliffs and rocks and uses year-round. Song and call are a loud and bubbling series of descending whistles “Piu-piu-piu-piu…” or “Pi pi pi pu-pu-pu-pu…” Somewhat similar to Eurasian Nuthatch, but larger, longer- and stronger-billed, and uses different habitats. Eastern Rock Nuthatch is also similar, but larger and heavier than the present species, with an even larger bill and thicker black eye stripe.
Chinese Rubythroat
Calliope tschebaiewi
Handsome male is gray above with a bright red throat, black chest, and white belly. Also note white eyebrows and “moustache” stripe, as well as white panels and edges on a black tail. Female is duller, cold gray-brown above with a white belly and throat. Extremely similar to Himalayan Rubythroat: note gray flecking on white flanks of male and white “moustache” (striking in males, pale and sometimes unnoticeable in females). Breeds in alpine and subalpine open areas with scattered scrub and boulders; preferred habitat averages higher and more open than Himalayan. Winters in lowland scrub. Song is a series of loud rich warbles, which average shorter and less varied than those of Himalayan Rubythroat.
Elegant Crescentchest
Melanopareia elegans
A striking little bird, shaped like a robust gnatcatcher. Note the bold black-and-buff head pattern, black chest fading to rufous flanks, and bright rufous on the wings. Tail is long and narrow. Unmistakable if seen well, but compare with Marañon Crescentchest, which has silvery wing edges and more richly-colored underparts. Secretive; singles or pairs skulk in dense thickets and understory of dry woodland and second growth, up to 2,300 m. More often detected by song; listen for a series of loud, popping chip notes.
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