Green-tailed Towhee
Pipilo chlorurus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyPasserellidae (New World Sparrows)
- GenusPipilo (Typical Towhees)
- SpeciesPipilo chlorurus (Green-tailed Towhee)
About the Green-tailed Towhee
The green-tailed towhee (Pipilo chlorurus) is a species of bird in the family Passerellidae, the New World sparrows. It is found in the western United States and much of Mexico. The formal description of the green-tailed towhee is credited to Audubon, lthough the bird's description was written by John Townsend in a letter to him. Audubon gave this bird the binomial Fringilla chlorura and the English name "green-tailed sparrow". Because the species' wing shape and some other characteristics are somewhat distinctive, various authors placed it genera Oreospiza, Chlorura, or Oberholseria before it settled into its current Pipilo.
The genus (Pipilo) of the green-tailed towhee is monotypic. The green-tailed towhee is about 18 cm (7.1 in) long and weighs on average about 29 g (1.0 oz). Though the sexes have essentially the same plumage, females tend to be slightly duller than males. Adults have a reddish brown crown, a white spot above the lores, and a white "moustache" and throat on an otherwise gray head. Their hindneck, back, and scapulars are yellowish olive with grayish olive edges on the feathers. Their rump and uppertail coverts are grayish... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Saguaro National Park
Spotted Towhee
Pipilo maculatus
Abert's Towhee
Melozone aberti
White-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrys
Song Sparrow
Melospiza melodia
Black-throated Sparrow
Amphispiza bilineata
Rufous-winged Sparrow
Peucaea carpalis
Lark Sparrow
Chondestes grammacus
Lincoln's Sparrow
Melospiza lincolnii
Chipping Sparrow
Spizella passerina
Canyon Towhee
Melozone fusca
Brewer's Sparrow
Spizella breweri
Savannah Sparrow
Passerculus sandwichensis
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 | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cabo Pulmo National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Grand Teton National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Rocky Mountain National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Bahía de Loreto National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 8 | Guadalupe Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Yellowstone National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Zion National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 12 | Grand Canyon National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 14 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 15 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 16 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Green-tailed Towhee in Saguaro National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Green-tailed Towhee sighting in Saguaro National Park, based on 2,395 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Green-tailed Towhee in Saguaro National Park?
September has the highest sighting rate for Green-tailed Towhee in Saguaro National Park in our monthly data.