Spotted Towhee, Pipilo maculatus


Spotted Towhee
I see Spotted Towhees out in the open mostly in the form of males singing during breeding season; the rest of the year, they are often heard but much more rarely seen, as they spend much of their time foraging in fallen leaves protected by overhead cover, as shown in a picture further down.


Spotted Towhee
A pair of Spotted Towhees illustrates the sex difference in plumage: female above, with dark areas mostly brown; male below, with same areas black.


Spotted Towhee


Spotted Towhee
A juvenile Spotted Towhee, photographed at our backyard fountain. Though these birds are common in our yard and around our neighborhood, this was the first juvenile I ever photographed.

Spotted Towhee
Spotted Towhees get most of their food, both insects and seeds, by foraging in leaf litter, kicking leaves aside and scratching at the ground, especially under cover of overhead foliage.


Spotted Towhee
A male singing high up and out in the open during breeding season.


Spotted Towhee
Above, bathing in our backyard fountain, and below, just after the bath.


Spotted Towhee


Spotted Towhee
This male in breeding season was putting up a fierce battle to defend his territory against his own reflection in our living room window, seen from the side, above, and from inside the house, below, the imaginary antagonist's perspective. (Yes, the latter picture stimulated some window cleaning.)


Spotted Towhee