Eastern Towhee "complex quiet song"

Male Eastern and Spotted Towhees have a so-called complex quiet song that can be heard during the breeding season after interactions with another towhee or even a bird of another species (BNA). The complex quiet song is a collection of call notes, and so is in a way similar to the rambling song of the White-eyed Vireo.

These recordings are of a male that had just had a confrontation with another male. There are at least nine different calls, including the commonly heard chewink and lisping see, but also several different chip-like calls, a low, distant-sounding caw, and a high buzz. The calls went on for more than twelve minutes.


(June, NJ)

buzz









metallic chip









high chip










chewink









chip











chip










caw at 4 and 10s








chip








lisping see