The Spotted Towhee is a striking, ground-foraging songbird of the American West, easily distinguished from its close relative, the Eastern Towhee, by its bold white wing spots and harsher vocalizations.
The Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus) is a large, vividly patterned sparrow found in shrubby habitats across western North America. Males have jet-black upperparts, a black hood and throat, rufous flanks, and a white belly, with prominent white spots on their wings and back. Females share the same pattern but are more muted, with brownish tones replacing the black. These birds are often heard before they’re seen, thanks to their habit of noisily scratching through leaf litter with both feet in search of insects, seeds, and berries.
Spotted Towhees prefer open woodlands, chaparral, and brushy slopes, especially areas with dense undergrowth. They are solitary or paired during the breeding season and can be territorial, often perching in the open to sing their buzzy, rising “cheweeeee” song. Their red eyes and flashing white tail corners in flight add to their dramatic appearance. While some populations are year-round residents, others migrate short distances to lower elevations or southern regions in winter.
The Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus), once considered the same species as the Spotted Towhee under the name “Rufous-sided Towhee,” is now recognized as distinct due to differences in plumage, song, and range.
In short, while both towhees share similar body shapes, behaviors, and diets, the Spotted Towhee is flashier and more vocal, thriving in the open, arid landscapes of the West, whereas the Eastern Towhee is subtler and more reserved, favoring the thick underbrush of the East. Their divergence reflects how geography and habitat can shape even closely related species into distinct identities.
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