Spotted TowheeSpotted Towhee -- South Dakota Birds
| Length: 7 inches | Wingspan: 10.5 inches | Seasonality: Summer |
| ID Keys: Black upperparts with white spots, black hood, rufous sides, white underparts, red eye. Compare to similar Eastern Towhee, which lacks spots. | ||
Spotted Towhee
Pipilo maculatus
The Spotted Towhee and the Eastern Towhee were formerly considered separate races of the same species, the Rufous-Sided Towhee (a name which is no longer used). The two are very similar, but differ in range, as the Spotted Towhee is mostly a western U.S. bird while the Eastern Towhee is an eastern U.S. bird. The Eastern Towhee also lacks the Spotted Towhee's white spots on its back and wings. The two species may interbreed where their ranges overlap.
Habitat: Prefers brush and thickets, usually as the understory to a forest/woodland.
Diet: Insects, fruits and berries, seeds, nuts, occasionally small reptiles, amphibians, and snakes.
Nesting: June and July
Breeding Map: Breeding bird survey map shows combined map for both the Spotted Towhee and the Eastern Towhee, as they were only recently split into separate species from the previous Rufous-Sided Towhee classification. The Spotted Towhee is the one most likely to breed in the state, especially West River.
Song: Long, buzzy chee-weeee. Variable.
Migrations: Some to the south and west of South Dakota may be permanent residents, but South Dakota birds generally migrate south in the fall.
Feeders: Will attend for a suet/seed mixture.
Similar Species: Eastern Towhee
Further Information: 1) USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter, Spotted Towhee
2)
Cornell Lab of Ornithology - Spotted Towhee
Photo Information: April 19th, 2007 - Point Reyes National Seashore, California - Terry Sohl
Additional Photos: Click on the image chips below for additional higher-resolution photos of this species.
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Please mail any comments/suggestions/additional links for this page to: Terry L. Sohl
This page was last edited on 02/03/08
