They know my voice
A familiar imitation of their call brings them down from the surrounding trees.
My bird family at home
California Towhees
Melozone crissalis
Before I ever reach the beach, a family of California Towhees is already waiting in the trees around my home, listening for a familiar whistle and the promise of our morning peanut ritual.
Read their story
Bird profile
A quiet brown bird that becomes unforgettable once you know it
- Common name
- California Towhee
- Scientific name
- Melozone crissalis
- Family
- Passerellidae, the New World sparrows
- Appearance
- Warm brown plumage, a long tail, sturdy bill, and subtle rusty coloring beneath the tail
- Voice
- A bright, sharp metallic chip that is easy to recognize once learned
- Favorite places
- Backyards, low shrubs, brushy edges, and the ground beneath trees
A call and response
“They hear my whistle, fly down from the trees, and know there will be peanuts waiting before I leave for the beach.”
This bird, its mate, and their offspring live in the trees around my house, and I see them nearly every morning. They have grown so accustomed to being fed that they come right up to my back door, announcing themselves with their distinctive sharp notes. On a few memorable occasions, one has even walked inside the house as though it belonged there.
Every day before I drive to the beach, I leave a handful of peanuts on the wall beside my car. I have learned their unmistakable call and can imitate it surprisingly well. When they hear me coming and recognize my whistle, they fly down from the trees because they know exactly what will be waiting.
It is a small ritual, but a meaningful one. These towhees remind me that my bird encounters do not begin at the shoreline. They begin at my own back door, with a neighborhood family that has learned to trust my voice and my routine.
What makes them special
They know the ritual
Peanuts on the wall beside my car have become part of their morning routine.
They feel at home
They visit the back door and have occasionally ventured right inside the house.
Before the beach
The first bird encounter of every morning happens at home.
Future additions will introduce more of this backyard family and document the calls, visits, and new generations that continue to share the neighborhood.
Return to Beach Bird Encounters