# Canyon Towhee

*Melozone fusca*

To find food beneath dense leaf litter, the Canyon Towhee performs a rapid 'double-scratch' hop, leaping forward and kicking both feet backward simultaneously.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Passeriformes › Passerellidae › Melozone
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** desert
- **Habitat:** Arid foothills, rocky canyons, desert scrub, chaparral, and brushy suburban yards.
- **Diet:** Primarily seeds and insects, including beetles, ants, caterpillars, and occasional wild berries.
- **Range:** Southwestern United States, Mexico
- **Size:** Length: 7.9-9.8 in (20-25 cm), Wingspan: 11.5 in (29 cm)
- **Lifespan:** Up to 7-10 years in the wild.
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Habitat fragmentation from urban sprawl, predation by domestic cats, and pesticide use reducing insect populations.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless. These inquisitive birds are comfortable around humans and often forage in parks or backyards. Maintain a respectful distance of 5 to 10 feet to avoid startling them. They pose no threat; if they approach, simply enjoy watching their unique double-scratch foraging dance.

## About

The canyon towhee ( Melozone fusca ) is a bird of the family Emberizidae.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/1ea65a11-d4d2-432d-ac61-5b7c85d6c43c
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/145289
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melozone fusca
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/2348371/medium.jpg (Gonzalo Zepeda Martínez, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.