How to attract green-tailed towhees to your yard
Green-tailed Towhees respond to four things: the right food, the right plants, water and safe nesting cover. Here is what each means for this particular bird, drawn from its range across 12 states and provinces.
First: is it in your area, and when?
You can only attract a bird that passes through or lives near you, so start with timing. It arrives only to breed in 9, such as California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and 3 more, so set up before spring arrival. It is a winter visitor in 3, including Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, where feeders and winter fruit matter most.
Plant what green-tailed towhees use
These native plants are tied to the Green-tailed Towhee in our regional plant lists (Audubon Native Plants and state sources). The count shows how many states or provinces list the plant for this bird — higher means it works across more of the range. Pick the ones native where you live.
| Plant | Type | States | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common sunflower Helianthus annuus | Perennial | 12 | Annual native sunflower — the original feeder seed. |
| Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium | Perennial | 12 | Native bunchgrass; winter seed and ground cover for sparrows and juncos. |
| Tall goldenrod Solidago altissima | Perennial | 12 | Insect-rich in fall and seed in winter. |
| Wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa | Perennial | 12 | Tubular flowers for hummingbirds and seed heads for finches. |
| Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta | Perennial | 11 | Prolific seed heads for finches and sparrows. |
| Rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa | Shrub | 11 | Late-season bloom supports insects; seed for sparrows. |
| Rocky Mountain bee plant Cleome serrulata | Perennial | 11 | Nectar-rich in summer, seed for finches in fall. |
| Paper birch Betula papyrifera | Tree | 4 | Catkin seed feeds redpolls and siskins all winter. |
| Prickly pear Opuntia engelmannii | Shrub | 4 | Fruit and seed plus nest sites for Cactus Wrens. |
| New England aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae | Perennial | 2 | Late nectar for insects and fall seed for sparrows. |
Your list covers 3 plant layers (perennial, shrub, tree). Layering matters: mixing perennial, shrub, tree gives green-tailed towhees food, perches and cover at different heights. Leave seed heads and fruit standing into winter instead of cutting back in fall.
Offer the food it actually eats
Seeds and insects scratched from leaf litter under shrubs.
- Warm months
- Beetles, ants and caterpillars
- Cold months
- Grass and forb seeds
- At feeders
- Millet, Hulled sunflower (on the ground)
Feeder style matters as much as food: low ground tray under cover is the first choice for this bird. Scratches under mountain shrubbery and visits ground feeding areas near dense cover, especially on migration. Feeder guide →
Give it a place to nest
Natural site: Cup low in a shrub in montane scrub.
It does not use nest boxes, so the way to host a nest is cover: keep dense native shrubs, vines or trees of the kind listed above, and avoid pruning them during the nesting season.
- Clutch
- 2–5 eggs
- Incubation
- 11–13 days
- Nestling period
- 11–14 days
- Broods per year
- 1–2 per season
Timing shifts with latitude: nesting begins around April in California but not until June in Wyoming. Don't trim shrubs or clean boxes during those months.
Water, safety and patience
- A shallow bath (1–2 in deep) with a rough bottom, refreshed every 2–3 days; a dripper or heater makes it far more attractive in summer heat and winter freeze.
- Place feeders within 3 ft of windows or more than 30 ft away to cut window strikes, and keep cats indoors.
- Skip pesticides — most backyard birds feed insects to their nestlings, even seed-eaters.
- Give it time. New feeders and plantings can take days to weeks to be found; a summer breeder won't appear until it returns in spring.
Frequently asked
What attracts green-tailed towhees to a yard?
Food they actually eat (millet, hulled sunflower (on the ground)), native plants such as Common sunflower, Little bluestem, Tall goldenrod, clean water and suitable nesting cover: cup low in a shrub in montane scrub.
What plants attract green-tailed towhees?
Across the Green-tailed Towhee's range, the native plants most often tied to it are Common sunflower (Helianthus annuus), Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), Tall goldenrod (Solidago altissima), Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta). Choose the ones native to your state.
When should I set up my yard for nesting green-tailed towhees?
Nesting starts around April in California and as late as June in Wyoming. Have cover, water ready a month before.
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
- 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.