Spotted Towhee
Pipilo maculatus
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyPasserellidae (New World Sparrows)
- GenusPipilo (Typical Towhees)
- SpeciesPipilo maculatus (Spotted Towhee)
About the Spotted Towhee
The spotted towhee (Pipilo maculatus) is a large New World sparrow. The taxonomy of the towhees has been debated in recent decades, and until 1995 this bird and the eastern towhee were considered a single species, then named rufous-sided towhee. Another outdated name for the spotted towhee is the Oregon towhee (particularly for the subspecies Pipilo maculatus oregonus). The call may be harsher and more varied than for the eastern towhee.
The spotted towhee is a large New World sparrow, roughly the same size as a gray catbird. It has a long, dark, fan-shaped tail with white corners on the end. It has a round body (similar to New World sparrows) with bright red eyes and dull pink legs. The spotted towhee is between 17 cm (6.7 in) and 21 cm (8.3 in) long, and weighs in at between 33 g (1.2 oz) and 49 g (1.7 oz). It has a wingspan of 28 cm (11 in).
Adult males have a generally darker head, upper body and tail with a white belly, rufous sides, white spots on their back and white wing bars. Females look similar but are dark brown and grey instead of black. The spotted towhee has white spots on its primary and secondary feathers; the eastern towhee is the same in terms of... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Spotted Towhee in Guadalupe Mountains National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Green-tailed Towhee
Pipilo chlorurus
Chipping Sparrow
Spizella passerina
Canyon Towhee
Melozone fusca
Rufous-crowned Sparrow
Aimophila ruficeps
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
Black-throated Sparrow
Amphispiza bilineata
White-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrys
Black-chinned Sparrow
Spizella atrogularis
Lincoln's Sparrow
Melospiza lincolnii
Lark Sparrow
Chondestes grammacus
White-throated Sparrow
Zonotrichia albicollis
Brewer's Sparrow
Spizella breweri
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Spotted Towhee in Guadalupe Mountains National Park?
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Spotted Towhee sighting in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, based on 694 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Spotted Towhee in Guadalupe Mountains National Park?
January has the highest sighting rate for Spotted Towhee in Guadalupe Mountains National Park in our monthly data.