California Towhee

California Towhee

Melozone crissalis

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
<5% · Rare
overall probability at Joshua Tree National Park

Closest Relatives at Joshua Tree National Park

Abert's Towhee
LC

Abert's Towhee

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Melozone aberti

10–20% · Possible
White-crowned Sparrow
LC

White-crowned Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Zonotrichia leucophrys

50–60% · Likely
Black-throated Sparrow
LC Endemic

Black-throated Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Amphispiza bilineata

30–40% · Possible
Brewer's Sparrow
LC

Brewer's Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spizella breweri

10–20% · Possible
Dark-eyed Junco
LC

Dark-eyed Junco

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Junco hyemalis

0–10% · With luck
Spotted Towhee
LC Endemic

Spotted Towhee

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pipilo maculatus

0–10% · With luck
Lincoln's Sparrow
LC

Lincoln's Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Melospiza lincolnii

0–10% · With luck
Chipping Sparrow
LC

Chipping Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spizella passerina

0–10% · Rare
Savannah Sparrow
LC Endemic

Savannah Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Passerculus sandwichensis

<5% · Rare
Lark Sparrow
LC

Lark Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chondestes grammacus

<5% · Rare
Song Sparrow
LC Endemic

Song Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Melospiza melodia

<5% · Rare
Green-tailed Towhee
LC

Green-tailed Towhee

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pipilo chlorurus

<5% · Rare

📅 Monthly Probability

<5
Jan
<5
Feb
<5
Mar
<5
Apr
<5
May
<5
Jun
<5
Jul
<5
Aug
<5
Sep
<5
Oct
<5
Nov
0–10
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
30–40%
2 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
20–30%
3 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
4 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
0–10%
5 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
6 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
7 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a California Towhee in Joshua Tree National Park?

About 3% of visitor-days record a California Towhee sighting in Joshua Tree National Park, based on 159 observer-days of citizen-science data from GBIF.

When is the best time to see California Towhee in Joshua Tree National Park?

December has the highest sighting rate for California Towhee in Joshua Tree National Park in our monthly data.

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