When do green-tailed towhees arrive in Arizona?
The Green-tailed Towhee is a winter visitor in Arizona — here is when to expect it, when it leaves, and how to be ready.
Green-tailed Towhee timing in Arizona
- Arrives
- Around November
- Leaves
- By February
- Status here
- Winter visitor
- Present roughly
- November–February
In Arizona, green-tailed towhees are a cold-season bird, arriving around November and heading back north to breed by February.
These windows are set by latitude: Arizona sits in the middle part of this species' range, so timing here tracks the continental average closely. In any given year, weather can move the first arrivals by a week or two either way.
Month by month in this state
Highlighted months are when green-tailed towhees are expected in Arizona. The edges of the window are the interesting weeks — first arrivals and last departures vary most from year to year.
Getting ready before they arrive
The week before November is the time to act. Have feeders cleaned, filled and out by early November — the first green-tailed towhees into Arizona are scouting for reliable food, and a station that's ready early gets added to their route.
Through the winter, consistent food matters more than variety — birds map dependable stations into their daily routes and rely on them hardest during cold snaps.
What green-tailed towhees eat while they're here
- Grass and forb seeds
Scratches under mountain shrubbery and visits ground feeding areas near dense cover, especially on migration.
Full Green-tailed Towhee diet guide → · Best feeder for green-tailed towhees →
Native plants that hold green-tailed towhees in Arizona
Food keeps a migrant for a day; habitat keeps it for the season. These Arizona-native plants are known to attract green-tailed towhees:
Tubular flowers for hummingbirds and seed heads for finches.
Prolific seed heads for finches and sparrows.
Annual native sunflower — the original feeder seed.
Native bunchgrass; winter seed and ground cover for sparrows and juncos.
Insect-rich in fall and seed in winter.
Nectar-rich in summer, seed for finches in fall.
Late-season bloom supports insects; seed for sparrows.
Seed pods and insect-rich spring bloom.
Keep exploring
Frequently asked
When do green-tailed towhees arrive in Arizona?
green-tailed towhees typically arrive in Arizona around November. Timing can shift a week or two with the weather in any given year.
When do green-tailed towhees leave Arizona?
Most green-tailed towhees have left Arizona by February. They spend the breeding season farther north and return in the fall.
Do green-tailed towhees stay in Arizona all year?
No — in Arizona the Green-tailed Towhee is a winter visitor, present roughly November–February. Outside that window it is rarely seen in the state.
What should I put out before green-tailed towhees arrive in Arizona?
Have feeders up and clean by early November — first arrivals scout reliable food sources. Good offerings for this species: beetles, ants and caterpillars.
Sources
- Green-tailed Towhee — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Green-tailed Towhee life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Green-tailed Towhee — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Arizona
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023)
- Audubon Native Plants Database
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.