Albert's towhee - a Palm Spring's resident

My handy bird book did it again.  I was unsure what this bird was and decided it was possibly a sparrow or finch because of the thick bill associated with them.  The sparrow section didn't have it, and neither did the finch section, so I thumbed through the book starting at the perching birds that had conical bills.  And there it was, an Albert's towhee.  Not exactly like the image in my book, but close enough.  An internet search verified the identification.

Like the spotted towhees I am familiar with, they are fond of bushy understory areas and tend to keep hidden.  The fact that this one was bold enough to be out on a rock speaks to the fact that it was no doubt used to the presence of people.  It makes sense, given the fact that I photographed it in a wooded area inside the Palm Springs Zoo.  

Also like the towhees common in southern British Columbia, they eat insects they find in leaf litter and detritus on the forest floor.  They also will take certain seeds.  This one just caught an insect; you can see it trapped in the bird's beak.  It wasn't there for long, there was just enough time for me to get a shot of it and it was then off.

I sometimes struggle with bird identification and have a pet peeve regarding identifying gulls as they have various plumages depending on their age and the time of year.  There is also the annoying fact that they may crossbreed with other species further muddling the likelihood of a successful identification.  Fortunately, this one was relatively easy and it is the first time I have ever seen this species.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com