Photo: Alan D. Wilson / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Canyon Towhee
Melozone fusca
Canyon Towhee (Melozone fusca) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of North America.
Found across 18 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Canyon Towhee (Melozone fusca) is a member of the Passerellidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 44.4 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 fusca
Quick facts
- Weight
- 44.4 g
- Diet
- Seed-eaters
- Family
- Passerellidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Canyon 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 Canyon Towhee is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Canyon Towhee (Melozone fusca) is a member of the Passerellidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Central America & Caribbean and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA sw USA and Mexico.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 44.4 g, with a wing length of about 9.3 cm and a tail of around 9.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 1.7 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Canyon Towhee?
The Canyon Towhee is a small bird that weighs around 44.4 g.
Where does the Canyon Towhee live?
The Canyon Towhee is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA sw USA and Mexico, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Canyon Towhee belong to?
The Canyon Towhee (Melozone fusca) belongs to the Passerellidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Canyon Towhee eat?
The Canyon Towhee is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Does the Canyon Towhee migrate?
The Canyon Towhee is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Canyon 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 Canyon Towhee make?
1 real field recording of the Canyon Towhee — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Canyon Towhee's range?
The Canyon Towhee has a mapped global range of about 1.7 million 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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