Spotted Towhee Pair - Arapahoe

[Jared Del Rosso]

Yesterday, a Spotted Towhee pair copulated twice. The female was perched in the open, in a dying maple tree (planted by the previous homeowners). She gave quiet calls, crouched, and vibrated her wings. This drew the male towhee out from the chokecherry thicket in my yard. He flew in, they mated, and then he flew back into the thicket. She remained in the maple and eventually called, crouched, and vibrated again. He returned, they mated, and he flew back to the chokecherries.

She remained in the maple for 3-5 minutes, only flying off when I passed closer to walk into my house. (I was out looking at plants when this all happened.) She flew in the opposite direction of the male, disappearing behind a neighbor's honeysuckle and perhaps into a massive juniper shrub. 

Spotted Towhees regularly nest in my and/or neighbor's yards. One year, they nested between my garden box and a neighbor's lattice. Unfortunately, the eggs all disappeared, one by one, overnight. Raccoons are common in the neighborhood, and the area the towhees nested in is also enjoyed by garter snakes (though I don't know that they eat bird eggs).

I've not found nests any other year--which is a good thing. There is a tangle of shrubs (and, increasingly, downed branches) edging one side of my yard and most sides of neighbors' yards. So the towhees have all sorts of covered areas to try. Once, I've seen them raise a cowbird young, but more often they raise their own. 

- Jared Del Rosso

Centennial, CO

lonesomewhippoorwill.com