Class Aves
Order Songbirds
Family Sparrows
Genus Pipilo

Credit: Silviu Cucerzan

North American field guide

Spotted Towhee

Pipilo maculatus

Also known as:Rufous-sided Towhee

Explore this bird

Identification

Field notes

22 cm (7-9") Common. Across western United States, southwestern Canada. Wood margins, thickets, dry shrubby vegetation. Scratches noisily on the ground in dry leaves.

Male: black head and upperparts contrast with rufous sides and white belly. Heavily spotted above. Similar male Eastern Towhee is not as spotted above.

Female: grayish hood and heavily spotted grayish back and wings, contrasting rufous sides and white belly. Similar Eastern Towhee is more brownish and not heavily spotted above.

Until recently lumped in with Eastern Towhee and called Rufous-sided Towhee.

Song: high trill. call to-wheee?

Details in the field

Photo gallery

4 photos

Credit: Jason Crotty

Female- Grays Harbor NWR, WA - October 18, 2012

Credit: Caleb Putnam

Credit: Rick Leche

Credit: Alexandra MacKenzie

Watch and learn

Videos

2 videos

Spotted Towhee

Credit: Don DesJardin

Spotted Towhee

Credit: Beatrice Chi Chow

Where it lives

Distribution map

Source legend · original intervals

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Unshaded in source · does not imply absence

Bird Advisor Identification rules 2 variants 6 rules

These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.

Spotted Towhee (Male)

3 rules

Rule 1 14 criteria confidence 2

What was the sex of the bird ?: Male · Unknown
What SIZE was the TAIL ?: Medium · Long · Very Long · Unknown
What colour was the SIDE ?: Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and thick · Conical and slender · Conical and thick · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Very short · Short · Medium · Unknown
What colour were the CHEEKS ?: Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Northeastern Canada or United States · Southeastern United States

result:893-spotted-towhee-male:1:1 Source: 893 Spotted Towhee (Male), row 1

Rule 2 14 criteria confidence 7

What was the sex of the bird ?: Male · Unknown
What SIZE was the TAIL ?: Medium · Long · Very Long · Unknown
What colour was the SIDE ?: Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and thick · Conical and slender · Conical and thick · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Very short · Short · Medium · Unknown
What colour were the CHEEKS ?: Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southwestern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States

result:893-spotted-towhee-male:2:1 Source: 893 Spotted Towhee (Male), row 2

Rule 3 6 criteria confidence 7

What was the sex of the bird ?: Male · Unknown
Was the bird seen best or only on the ground ?: Yes
How BIG was the bird ?: Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
List any unique feeding behaviour observed ?: Noisily scratching in the underbrush or leaves
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Identify from a Unique Behaviour
What type of environment was the bird seen in?: Urban or residential area or at a feeder · Open area: field, prairie, meadow, farmland, tundra · Thickets or shrubs · Deciduous forest · Coniferous forest · Mixed forest

result:893-spotted-towhee-male:3:1 Source: 893 Spotted Towhee (Male), row 3

Spotted Towhee (Female)

3 rules

Rule 1 16 criteria confidence 2

What was the sex of the bird ?: Female · Unknown
What SIZE was the TAIL ?: Medium · Long · Very Long · Unknown
What colour was the SIDE ?: Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was shown on the BREAST ?: Uniform color · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
What colour was the BILL ?: Red, or pink · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Blue · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and thick · Conical and slender · Conical and thick · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Very short · Short · Medium · Unknown
What FACIAL or HEAD features were noted if any ?: Light area between the bill and the eye · Light area over, below, behind or around the eye · Light area running up the side of the neck or head · Sideburn stripe running down beneath the eye · Dark area behind, under, through or around the eye · Ear "tufts" or horns · NONE of the above or a PLAIN unmarked FACE · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Northeastern Canada or United States · Southeastern United States

result:894-spotted-towhee-female:1:1 Source: 894 Spotted Towhee (Female), row 1

Rule 2 16 criteria confidence 7

What was the sex of the bird ?: Female · Unknown
What SIZE was the TAIL ?: Medium · Long · Very Long · Unknown
What colour was the SIDE ?: Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was shown on the BREAST ?: Uniform color · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the BILL ?: Red, or pink · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Blue · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and thick · Conical and slender · Conical and thick · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Very short · Short · Medium · Unknown
What FACIAL or HEAD features were noted if any ?: Light area between the bill and the eye · Light area over, below, behind or around the eye · Light area running up the side of the neck or head · Sideburn stripe running down beneath the eye · Dark area behind, under, through or around the eye · Ear "tufts" or horns · NONE of the above or a PLAIN unmarked FACE · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southwestern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States

result:894-spotted-towhee-female:2:1 Source: 894 Spotted Towhee (Female), row 2

Rule 3 6 criteria confidence 7

What was the sex of the bird ?: Female · Unknown
Was the bird seen best or only on the ground ?: Yes
How BIG was the bird ?: Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
List any unique feeding behaviour observed ?: Noisily scratching in the underbrush or leaves
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Identify from a Unique Behaviour
What type of environment was the bird seen in?: Urban or residential area or at a feeder · Open area: field, prairie, meadow, farmland, tundra · Thickets or shrubs · Deciduous forest · Coniferous forest · Mixed forest

result:894-spotted-towhee-female:3:1 Source: 894 Spotted Towhee (Female), row 3