Spotted Towhee

The Spotted Towhee occupies brushy habitats across the western United States, sharing the same basic black (or brown), rufous, and white color scheme as its eastern relative but adding a distinctive pattern of white spotting across the back and wing coverts. Feathers from this species are readily found in dense chaparral, thickets, and shrubby forest edges where the birds spend much of their time foraging on the ground.

Size and Shape

Feathers are similar in size and shape to the Eastern Towhee's, moderately large with a fairly long tail.

Color and Pattern

• Head, throat, and breast feathers: solid black in males, brown in females
• Back and wing covert feathers: black or brown with conspicuous white spots and streaks
• Flank feathers: rufous-orange
• Belly feathers: white
• Outer tail feathers: white-tipped

Distinguishing from Similar Species

The bold white spotting across the back and wing coverts distinguishes Spotted Towhee feathers from the largely plain black or brown upperparts of the Eastern Towhee, making the spotted pattern the most reliable feather-level clue between the two closely related species.

Adult males show a solid black hood and breast, heavily white-spotted back and wings, rufous flanks, and a white belly; adult females show the same pattern with brown replacing black. Juveniles are streaky brown, lacking the bold adult pattern, before their first molt. Adults undergo a complete molt after breeding in late summer.

Spotted Towhees are found across the western United States, from the Pacific Coast east to the Great Plains, in dense chaparral, brushy thickets, and shrubby forest edges. Populations at higher elevations or in the north may move to lower or more southerly areas in winter, while many populations are resident year-round.

This species forages on the ground with the same double-scratch technique used by the Eastern Towhee, kicking aside leaf litter to expose insects and seeds. It builds a cup nest low in shrubs or on the ground. Its song is a buzzy trill often preceded by a few introductory notes, and its call is a nasal, rising mew note distinct from the Eastern Towhee's sharper "chewink." Spotted Towhees are often detected first by the sound of their vigorous ground-scratching in dense cover.