Spotted Towhee

Adults have a striking black head, throat, and upperparts (dark brown in females), with bold white spots on the back and wings. The flanks are a rich rufous-chestnut, the belly is white, and the eyes are bright red.

Black head and upperparts with distinct white spots on the back and wings, bright rufous flanks, white belly, and glaring red eyes.

Length: 17-21 cm (6.7-8.3 in), Wingspan: 28-31 cm (11-12 in), Weight: 33-53 g (1.2-1.9 oz)

Call is a distinct, nasal "chwee" or "towhee" sound. Song is a rhythmic introduction followed by a trill, sounding like "drink-a-teee-ee-ee".

Omnivorous; feeds on seeds, fallen fruit, spiders, and various insects by scratching backwards in leaf litter with both feet simultaneously.

Dense brush, chaparral, shrublands, forest edges, overgrown gardens, and wooded canyons.

Permanent resident in most regions, but some northern and high-altitude populations are short-distance migrants.

Builds a cup nest hidden on the ground or low in shrubs. Lays 2 to 6 creamy-white eggs speckled with reddish-brown. Incubation is done primarily by the female.

Eastern Towhee, which lacks the white spots on the back and wings found on the Spotted Towhee. Where their ranges overlap in the Great Plains, they occasionally hybridize.

Acts as an important seed disperser and helps control insect populations in shrubby understories.

Least Concern, with a stable population trend.

Listen for their characteristic scratching sounds in dense brush. Use binoculars to look under low-hanging bushes where they forage on the ground.

Spotted Towhees hop backward simultaneously with both feet when scratching through leaf litter, a unique double-scratching technique to uncover hidden food.