Spotted Towhee
Pipilo maculatus
Also known as: Spotted Rufous-Sided Towhee, Western Rufous-Sided Towhee
About This Species
This ground-dwelling relative of the sparrows favours brushy chaparral, woodland edges and overgrown gardens across the western United States, where it forages by kicking backward through leaf litter with both feet at once, a distinctive double-scratch technique. Its buzzy, drawn-out song and sharp cat-like call note often give away its presence before it is seen. Spring and early summer, when males sing from low perches to defend territory, offer the best chance of a clear view.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Staying still and quiet near dense shrubbery gives the best views, since sudden movement toward foraging birds tends to send them deeper into cover rather than into the open.
- In the United States this species and its nest are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which prohibits disturbance, capture or collection of eggs.
- Avoiding pruning or clearing dense understory during the spring nesting season is a practical way to protect nests that are often built low and well hidden.
LCAvesPasseriformesPasserellidae
Seasonal Activity
4,617,917 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Passerellidae
Photo
(c) Nigel Voaden, some rights reserved (CC BY)
CC-BY-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.