Green-tailed Towhee
Green-tailed Towhee has surged: up 384% on the route-weighted index since 1970.
About the Green-tailed Towhee
The Green-tailed Towhee (Pipilo chlorurus) is a North American member of the New World Sparrows (Passerellidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the forest birds.
- Size
- 4.5–7.5 in long (12–19 cm) — a small songbird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Woodlands and forest edges, including wooded suburbs and parks.
- Diet
- Insects and spiders gleaned from foliage and bark, with seeds and berries in season.
- Range
- Recorded on 524 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 11 states, most concentrated in the Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau.
- Family
- Passerellidae · Forest birds
Notable Green-tailed Towhee Trends
Green-tailed Towhee has surged in surveyed states: up 384% on the route-weighted index since 1970.
Green-tailed Towhee Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Green-tailed Towhee is projected to rise about 38% by 2029 — from 0.84 in 2024 to a central estimate of 1.2 (95% range 0.90–1.4). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±39.4%, with 0% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.1 | 0.84 | 1.4 |
| 2026 | 1.1 | 0.86 | 1.4 |
| 2027 | 1.1 | 0.87 | 1.4 |
| 2028 | 1.1 | 0.89 | 1.4 |
| 2029 | 1.2 | 0.90 | 1.4 |
Where the Green-tailed Towhee Is Detected
BBS routes recording Green-tailed Towhee, sized by most recent count.
Green-tailed Towhee Population Trend by State
| Arizona | +503% | 1988 | 13 |
| California | +110% | 1970 | 85 |
| Colorado | +69% | 1970 | 105 |
| Idaho | +213% | 1971 | 25 |
| Montana | -37% | 1970 | 22 |
| Nevada | +157% | 1970 | 28 |
| New Mexico | +251% | 1970 | 35 |
| Oregon | +71% | 1970 | 52 |
| Texas | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Utah | +60% | 1970 | 68 |
| Wyoming | +84% | 1970 | 89 |
Green-tailed Towhee Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Northern Pacific Rainforest | -35% | 1974 | 17 |
| Great Basin | +186% | 1970 | 116 |
| Northern Rockies | +72% | 1970 | 117 |
| Sierra Nevada | +43% | 1970 | 36 |
| Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau | +136% | 1970 | 181 |
| Badlands and Prairies | -58% | 1979 | 17 |
| Shortgrass Prairie | -47% | 1994 | 6 |
| Coastal California | -97% | 1971 | 13 |
| Sonoran and Mojave Deserts | +106% | 1980 | 6 |
| Sierra Madre Occidental | +270% | 1988 | 9 |
| Chihuahuan Desert | -60% | 1977 | 6 |
Green-tailed Towhee Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 384% since 1970.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.