Spotted Towhees in Arizona

Spotted Towhees live in Arizona all year. Low deserts stay mild and host many wintering sparrows and hummingbirds; the high country gets snow. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward seeds and acorns.

Hot Sonoran and Mojave deserts in the south and west, with pine-oak sky islands and the Colorado Plateau rising above 7,000 ft.

Across Arizona, spotted towhees typically nest from March–July. Nest site: cup on or near the ground. Females lay 3–5 eggs, incubate for 12–14 days, and young leave the nest after 10–12 days.

Summer highs above 110°F in Phoenix and Tucson make water the single strongest attractant; the July monsoon triggers a second breeding pulse.

• Spotted Towhees don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as smooth sumac, black cherry, american elderberry for nest sites.
• Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after July.

Of the regional native plants we track for Arizona, these 8 provide food or cover spotted towhees use:

Scratches noisily under shrubs — leaf litter is prime habitat.

• Best foods: Millet, Sunflower chips.
• In Arizona's winter: Low deserts stay mild and host many wintering sparrows and hummingbirds; the high country gets snow.

Full diet breakdown for spotted towhees · Best feeder for spotted towhees