Photo: Francesco Veronesi from Italy / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
White-throated Towhee
Melozone albicollis
White-throated Towhee (Melozone albicollis) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The White-throated Towhee (Melozone albicollis) is a member of the Passerellidae family found in Central America & Caribbean. Adults weigh 46.4 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Passerellidae New World Sparrows
- Genus Melozone
- Species albicollis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 46.4 g
- Diet
- Seed-eaters
- Family
- Passerellidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The White-throated Towhee is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it uses a wide range of foraging strategies.
Migration
The White-throated Towhee is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The White-throated Towhee (Melozone albicollis) is a species of bird in the Passerellidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Central America & Caribbean. Its distribution covers MA Mexico.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 46.4 g, with a wing length of about 8.1 cm and a tail of around 8.9 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 65,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the White-throated Towhee?
The White-throated Towhee is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 46.4 g.
Where does the White-throated Towhee live?
The White-throated Towhee is found across Central America & Caribbean with a range covering MA Mexico, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the White-throated Towhee belong to?
The White-throated Towhee (Melozone albicollis) belongs to the Passerellidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the White-throated Towhee eat?
The White-throated Towhee is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Does the White-throated Towhee migrate?
The White-throated Towhee is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the White-throated Towhee endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the White-throated Towhee make?
1 real field recording of the White-throated Towhee — including its dawn song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the White-throated Towhee's range?
The White-throated Towhee has a mapped global range of about 65,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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