Eastern Towhee

A striking, ground-foraging sparrow of brushy woodland edges and overgrown fields, best located by its emphatic, whistled song and its habit of noisily scratching through leaf litter with both feet at once. The male's bold black, white and rufous pattern contrasts with the female's warmer brown tones, and both are often first detected by sound before being seen low in dense cover. Spring and early summer, when males sing from low, exposed perches, offer the best combination of activity and visibility.