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Spotted Towhee

Pipilo maculatusOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Sparrows (Emberizidae)
Codes: Common Name: SPTO Scientific Name: PIPMAC ITIS Taxonomic No.: 554380
Least Concern
 
Spotted Towhee
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Birdman Mel's Backyard Tips
Jelly Jar Jelly Feeder
The orange "blossum" replaces the lid of a jelly jar.
Attract Orioles with Fruit
Sliced orange secures easily to the center of the ring. Low cost.
Attract with Nectar
Hex shaped nectar feeds several Orioles. Nectar kept in fridge.
Charm and Attraction
Lovely copper umbrella keeps fruit cool and looks great.

Overview

Spotted Towhee: Large sparrow, white-spotted black back, black rump. Black breast, white belly, rufous sides. Head is black and eyes are red. Wings are black with white spots. Tail is long and black with white corners. Short, bounding flights, alternates rapid wing beats with wings pulled to sides.


Range and Habitat

Spotted Towhee: Breeds from British Columbia south to California and the southwest, and east to central Dakotas and western Texas. Spends winters from British Columbia, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and Nebraska south to Baja California and east to Oklahoma and south-central Texas. Preferred habitats include forest edges, thickets, woodlands, gardens, and shrubby park areas.

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Topo Map: Perching-like Body


Listen to Call

Similar Sounding

Voice Text

"cheweeeeee", "meewwww"

Interesting Facts

 When disturbed, a nesting female Spotted Towhee may run away like a mouse rather than fly.

 They occasionally sun themselves, lying down on the grass with feathers spread.

 They often bathe in dew or fog drip on vegetation.

 A group of towhees are collectively known as a "tangle" and a "teapot" of towhees.


Bird Term Glossary



Author

Gary Owen Dick

Artist

Santiago Cornejo

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Range Map for Spotted Towhee

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Family Buntings, Finches, Sparrows (Emberizidae)_blue
Species Pipilo maculatus
Length7 - 7.5 Inches
Wingspan10.5 Inches

Spotted Towhee

Spotted Towhee: Large sparrow, white-spotted black back, black rump. Black breast, white belly, rufous sides. Head is black and eyes are red. Wings are black with white spots. Tail is long and black with white corners. Short, bounding flights, alternates rapid wing beats with wings pulled to sides.

● Song: "cheweeeeee", "meewwww"

● Foraging & Feeding: Spotted Towhee: Eats insects, spiders, seeds, and fruits; also takes small lizards and snakes; forages by double-scratching in leaf litter on the ground, usually beneath dense thickets.

● Breeding & nesting: Spotted Towhee: Two to six white or gray eggs flecked with purple and red brown are laid in a loose cup nest built in a dense bush, usually close to or on the ground. Incubation ranges from 12 to 14 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Spotted Towhee: Eastern Towhee lacks wing-bars and white spots on the back.

Flight Pattern

Swift bounding flight with rapid wing beats.
Spotted Towhee Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Spotted Towhee: Breeds from British Columbia south to California and the southwest, and east to central Dakotas and western Texas. Spends winters from British Columbia, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and Nebraska south to Baja California and east to Oklahoma and south-central Texas. Preferred habitats include forest edges, thickets, woodlands, gardens, and shrubby park areas.
BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester
PopulationCommon to fairly common
MigrationSome migrate
Weight1.4 Ounces
Perching-like BodyX
BellyX
The ventral part of the bird, or the area between the flanks on each side and the crissum and breast. Flight muscles are located between the belly and the breast.
BreastX
The upper front part of a bird.
RumpX
The area between the uppertail coverts and the back of the bird.
4 and 6 letter alpha codesX

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

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ITIS CodesX

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) was established in the mid-1990�s as a cooperative project among several federal agencies to improve and expand upon taxonomic data (known as the NODC Taxonomic Code) maintained by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

To find the ITIS page for a bird species go to the ITIS web site advanced search and report page at http://www.itis.gov/advanced_search.html. You can enter the TSN or the common name of the bird. It will return the ITIS page for that bird. Another way to obtain the ITIS page is to use the Google search engine. Enter the string ITIS followed by the taxonomic ID, for example "ITIS 178041" will return the page for the Allen's Hummingbird.

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Parts of a Standing birdX
Head Feathers and MarkingsX
Parts of a Flying birdX