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Canyon Towhee

Melozone fusca · New World Sparrows

Canyon Towhee (Melozone fusca)
(c) Gera Guzman, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Gera Guzman · CC BY-NC · via iNaturalist

Canyon Towhee (Melozone fusca) is in the New World Sparrows family (Passerellidae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 8,527 research-grade observations of it in our sample, peaking in April.

Seasonal pattern in the national data: year-round resident. Counts also reflect when people are out photographing, so compare months within a state rather than across states.

When to photograph Canyon Towhee: observations by month (U.S.)

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

About Canyon Towhee

The canyon towhee (Melozone fusca) is a bird of the family Emberizidae.From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.

Canyon Towhee by state

StateObservationsPeak monthMain season
Arizona3,338MayApr–Mar
Texas2,847AprilMar–Feb
New Mexico1,995AprilMar–Feb
Colorado277MayDec–Oct
Oklahoma64MayMay–Jun
Kansas6SeptemberSep–Sep

Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.

Related birds (New World Sparrows)

Photography tips

  • Use a fast shutter (1/2000 s or faster) for birds in flight.
  • Focus on the eye and shoot at the bird's eye level.
  • Approach slowly and stop if the bird changes behavior; never bait or flush birds.
  • Morning activity peaks in the first two hours after sunrise.

FAQ

When is the best time to photograph Canyon Towhee?
Nationally, April has the most observations, with the main season from March to February.
Where is Canyon Towhee most often seen?
The most observations come from Arizona, Texas, New Mexico.