"A male towhee finds a place up high and can spend up to 90 percent of its time sending out that trill, calling for a mate. If this is the same bird, he might not be calling for a mate, but for his mate. Towhees are primarily monogamous, but only during mating season. There's a courtship, then a mating, and then the pair raise their offspring. After that, they go their separate ways, but might join up again for the next mating season."
"The trilling can continue for a short time after the love birds find each other, but the male soon becomes obsessed with protecting the territory, his mate and their nest. He might continue to sing as way of warning others to back off. If you notice the towhee cutting back on the calling, it's a good sign a love match has been made. You can instead listen for a soft, lisping song, which is how the two birds communicate with each other."
A spotted towhee may return to the same yard year after year and can live many years, with wild records up to age 11. Male towhees often perch high and can spend up to 90 percent of their time trilling to call for a mate or to call for an existing mate. Towhees are primarily monogamous during the mating season, with courtship, mating and joint care of offspring, then temporary separation. Males may continue trilling briefly, then shift to territorial defense and softer lisping calls used between partners. Reduced calling often signals a paired match.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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