Towhee & Northern Pintail

Green-tailed Towhee: Length 7.25 inches, Weight 1.0 ounces, Wingspan 10 inches.

Spotted Towhee: Length 6.7 to 8.3 inches, Weight 1.2 to 1.7 ounces, Wingspan 11 inches.

The Green-tailed Towhee is a colorful bird, but the colors are subdued. It is yellowish green on its back, wings, and tail. The head and breast are gray, and it has a white throat and a bright rufous cap on its crown.

Another more colorful towhee is the Spotted Towhee. Its head, back, wings, and tail are black with white spots. Its eyes are red, the breast is white, and the sides rufous.

Towhees are ground feeders. They forage by the hop-and-scratch method to uncover food in the leaves and buried by ground covers. The scratching noise tips off the birder that a towhee may be in the vicinity.

Fall signifies a transition in duck populations as many species return to Denver, their winter habitats.

Northern Pintail: Length 26 inches, Weight 1.75 pounds, Wingspan 36 inches.

The Northern Pintail is one of these returning ducks. It is not a colorful bird but it is an elegant, slender duck with a long neck and a long tail. Males have a chocolate brown head with a white slash coming up the neck, and they have a white breast with a mostly gray body. The white slash on the neck and the long tail are field marks that facilitate its identification, especially in flight.

Bird Walks: Oct. 7 & Nov. 4. 2.5-hour walk at 7:30am or 2-hour walk at 8am. Free but must RSVP at blufflake.org/birdwatching. All are welcome. Bring your own binoculars, or borrow a pair from your guide. 11255 MLK Blvd.