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California Towhee

California Towhee line art illustration (click image to enlarge)

California Towhee full color illustration (click image to enlarge)

Artist's notes:

The California Towhee illustration was completed on 2.6.2012. For many years I have watched these birds in my yard. They are pretty fearless, and if you sit and watch them you begin to wonder why they have wings at all. They seem so comfortable on the ground, foraging in the leaf litter, running around from place to place rather than flying. They certainly aren't the most lovely colored birds one can encounter, and for a long time I was hard pressed to find any images that inspired me to draw one. But a Flickr friend - Johanna California - captured a lovely image of the bird which gave me the needed enthusiasm to illustrate the species.

Information about the California Towhee:

The California Towhee - Pipilo crissalis or Melozone crissalis - is a small bird and member of the Emberizidae family. It is native to the coastal regions of the western parts of North America, from Oregon through California down into Baja, Mexico. The bird is normally found in brushlands or chaparral. It is also very commonly seen in yards in cities and urban environments, usually on the ground searching through the leaf litter for food. It is an opportunistic feed, and will eat both insects and seeds. Because of their dull coloring - warm grays with subtle splashes of orange and red-orange - it is often overlooked by birdwatchers.