A denizen of thick shrubby undergrowth, the Green-tailed Towhee is most noticeable when it is noisily scratching in dry leaf litter with both feet to expose insects and seeds on the ground underneath. Its song is highly variable as it incorporates portions of other bird species singing nearby. Breeding higher in the mountains than where it winters, the nest is hidden at the base of a bush and is large with grass, twigs and stems the main construction materials.
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A resident of desert slopes and vegetated gulleys, the Canyon Towhee is sensitive to human intrusions. It has been pushed back from urban and suburban expansion into more remote parts of the desert. Its bulky nest is made of twigs, grass and bark and placed in a bush or low tree near the ground. It runs on the ground like a large rodent and feeds by using both feet simultaneously to scratch up seeds and insects from the leaf litter.
Common in thick brush along water courses in a restricted part of the desert southwest, the Abert's Towhee has successfully taken advantage of human plantings and greenery to become a regular garden bird in desert towns, suburbs and even large cities. Usually in pairs, it can be secretive, but at times it boldly runs out along sidewalks and edges of swimming pools. It feeds on the ground by simultaneously digging both feet into the ground and throwing large wads of leaves and dry vegetation into the air in back of it.
Often found scratching noisily in leaf litter in dense shrubbery, chaparral and forest edges, the Spotted Towhee will sometimes come out in the open and sing from the top of an exposed bush. It eats seeds, grass stems and fallen fruits it finds on the soil surface. The nest is a depression in the ground under dense tangles. Cowbirds often use this towhee as a host for their eggs and young.