Metallic green upperparts. Pale gray face, neck and breast. Whitish belly. Rufous crown. White lores and dark "mustache" stripe. White throat. Dark gray conical bill. Dark, brown eye. Yellowish wing linings. Long tail. Juveniles have heavily streaked above and below. Sexes similar. Smaller than other towhees, 6.25 to 7 inches in length.

Thickets, shrubby areas, sagebrush areas, and mountain chaparral.

Nesting

4 heavily spotted white eggs. The eggs have a 11 day incubation period. Fledging occurs in ? days. The nest is loosely built on the ground or in a low shrub.