Townsend's Solitaire Myadestes townsendi Audubon       Field Guide IDs: NG-346; G-246; PE-218; PW-pl 48; AW-pl 476; AM(III)-50 Nest Location Nest Type Eggs & Mating System Dev. & Parental Care Primary & 2ndary Diet.. Foraging Strategy ? I: ? DAYS ALTRICIAL SNAG 0 feet - 10 feet CAVITY ? 4 (3-5) MONOG F: ? DAYS MF FRUIT FOLIAGE .....GLEAN GROUND ...GLEAN BREEDING: Open montane coniferous forest on steep rocky slopes in about a 3,000' band below timberline. 1 brood, 2? in s. DISPLAYS: ? NEST: Often amid tree roots or other shelter on ground; on base of trash, twigs, sticks, faded grass, with neat shallow cup of fine dry grass stems. EGGS: Dull white to light blue, marked with browns, occ wreathed. 0.9" (24 mm). DIET: Includes spiders, worms; esp berries. Young fed mostly insects. Winter diet occ exclusively berries. CONSERVATION: Winters s to c Mexico. NOTES: Breeding biology little known. Defends exclusive winter territories to protect supply of berries; each territory supplies total food for duration of winter. When berry supply is poor, winter territories also defended interspecifically to ensure adequate berry supply. STANFORD. NOTES: ESSAYS: Territoriality; Interspecific Territoriality; How Do We Find Out About Bird Biology? REFERENCES: Salomonson and Balda, 1977.