SPOTTED TOWHEE
A shy but beautiful large sparrow, the Spotted Towhee can often be seen hiding and scratching for food in the leaf-litter beneath the underbrush. For many years it was called a Rufous-sided Towhee and thought to belong to the same species as the unspotted Eastern Towhee found east of the Great Plains. The Spotted Towhee is now recognized as its own species.
Adults males have red eyes, rust colored sides, dark head, a white belly, a long dark tail with white edges, white wing bars and white spots along their backs. On females, these same spots are gray or brown.
The Spotted Towhee’s song starts with one or two (but could be up to eight) short notes followed by a fast trill. They also have a call that sounds a bit harsh and angry.