# California Towhee

*Melozone crissalis*

They perform a unique 'double-scratch' foraging maneuver, where they hop forward and quickly kick both feet backward to uncover hidden seeds in the dirt.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Passeriformes › Passerellidae › Melozone
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** urban
- **Habitat:** Chaparral, coastal scrub, oak woodlands, and suburban gardens.
- **Diet:** Primarily seeds and small fruits, supplemented by ground-dwelling insects and spiders.
- **Range:** California, Oregon, Baja California
- **Size:** 20-25 cm (8-10 inches) in length
- **Lifespan:** 6-12 years
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Predation by domestic cats, habitat fragmentation, and window strikes.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless. These birds are common in backyards and parks. Observe from a distance (5-10 feet) to avoid disrupting their foraging. If you find them tapping on your windows, they are likely defending their territory against their own reflection; applying window decals can help.

## About

The California towhee ( Melozone crissalis ) is a bird of the family Passerellidae, native to the coastal regions of western Oregon and California in the United States and Baja California Sur in Mexico.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/825e23ec-ef59-432d-832d-b0e14223349e
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/73044
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melozone crissalis
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/308452724/medium.jpg (Channel City Camera Club, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

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