Spotted Towhee

The Spotted Towhee is a striking, large sparrow relative closely related to the Eastern Towhee, sharing the same basic black-hood, rufous-flank, white-belly pattern but distinguished by rows of bold white spots across the black back, scapulars, and wing coverts. Males have solid black upperparts spangled with these white spots, while females show the same pattern in dark brownish-gray.

Red eyes, a heavy conical bill, and a long tail with white corners round out the field marks, and the species is a familiar, vocal presence in brushy habitats across the West.

Key field marks

• Bold white spots on an otherwise black (male) or dark brownish-gray (female) back and wings
• Rufous-orange flanks and a clean white belly
• Red eyes and a heavy, conical bill
• Long black tail with white corners, visible in flight

Similar species

• Eastern Towhee lacks the white spotting on the back, showing a plain black back instead; the two species meet and hybridize in a narrow contact zone on the Great Plains.
• No other western songbird shares this combination of a spotted black back, rufous flanks, and white belly.

Spotted Towhees are widespread across western North America, from southern British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest south through California and the interior West into Mexico, favoring chaparral, brushy woodland edges, riparian thickets, and dense shrub understory. They are absent from open grassland and dense unbroken forest, preferring tangled edge habitats.

Most populations are resident or short-distance migrants, though birds breeding at higher elevations or in the northern part of the range may move to lower elevations or slightly south for winter.

Like its eastern counterpart, the Spotted Towhee forages mainly on the ground, using a vigorous double-footed scratching motion to kick through leaf litter and expose insects and seeds, often audible before the bird is seen.

The song is a variable buzzy trill, sometimes preceded by a few sharp introductory notes, and the call is a nasal, rising "mew" or "chwEE," distinct from the Eastern Towhee's "chewink." Diet includes insects, seeds, and berries gleaned mostly from the ground and low shrubs. Nests are built on or near the ground in dense cover, with typical clutches of three to five eggs.