towhee

noun

to·whee | \ ˈtō-ˌhē

, ˈtō-(ˌ)ē, tō-ˈhē\

Definition of towhee

1 : a long-tailed passerine bird (Pipilo erythrophthalmus of the family Emberizidae) of eastern North America with the male having reddish sides, white underparts, and black upperparts, head, and neck

— called also chewink

2 : any various similar related birds (genera Pipilo and Melozone) found mainly in western North America

Note: Towhees live primarily on the ground, often in bushes and thickets, where they feed on insects and seeds.

Examples of towhee in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The dawn chorus on Camp Stewart Road is mostly Northern cardinals, American robins, Carolina wrens and Eastern towhees. — Taylor Piephoff, charlotteobserver, "Breeding Bird Survey yields 56 species over 25-mile route," 20 June 2018 Summer species include Northern bobwhite, black-chinned hummingbird and spotted towhee. — Houston Chronicle, "Top birding spots around Texas," 10 May 2018 The short, river-hugging trail leads you beneath tall oaks; birds to be seen include towhee and mockingbird. — Peter Fish, San Francisco Chronicle, "The 5 best hikes in Napa for wine lovers," 21 Feb. 2018 Northern mockingbirds have started singing in earnest, along with Eastern towhees. — Taylor Piephoff, charlotteobserver, "Watch for the annual visit by red-winged blackbirds | Charlotte Observer," 16 Feb. 2018 And finally, long after my wife believed he was lost forever, appeared the towhee, and his little mate. — Southern Living, "Love Song," 15 Mar. 2012 And finally, long after my wife believed he was lost forever, appeared the towhee, and his little mate. — Southern Living, "Love Song," 15 Mar. 2012 And finally, long after my wife believed he was lost forever, appeared the towhee, and his little mate. — Southern Living, "Love Song," 15 Mar. 2012 DuBay and Fuldner studied five species: horned larks, red-headed woodpeckers, field sparrows, grasshopper sparrows and Eastern towhees. — Ben Guarino, Washington Post, "Soot caught in bird feathers shows how catastrophic air pollution can be," 9 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'towhee.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.