spotted towhee

1. Bird Name
English Name: Spotted Towhee
Scientific (Latin) Name: Pipilo maculatus

2. Appearance
The Spotted Towhee is a large sparrow with a chunky body and long, thick tail. Adults have a black head, upper body, and tail, showing off large white spots that give the bird its name. The belly is white, with rufous sides that often cross onto the belly. The eyes are dark red. The beak is black, conical, and stout, adept for cracking seeds. The juvenile Spotted Towhee looks much like the adult, but the black feathers have not yet appeared and are instead a murky brown. Male and female spotted towhees are similar, but females are somewhat duller, with dark brown rather than black upperparts.

3. Size
Spotted Towhees have an average length of 17-21 cm (6.7-8.3 inches) with a wingspan averaging 28 cm (11 inches). The weight range is between 33-49 g (1.2-1.7 oz).

4. Habitat & Distribution
The Spotted Towhee is primarily a Western United States bird, found from the western parts of Canada, all the way down to the north of Guatemala. The habitat of the Spotted Towhee is quite varied, it includes chaparral, thickets, gardens, forest edges, shrublands, and savannahs. They also are found in areas with dense shrubs like parklands, gardens and overgrown fields.

5. Interesting Facts
Spotted Towhees spend majority of their time on the ground, scratching leaves with a hop-forward, leap-backwards motion that is characteristic of the species. They are known for their distinctive ‘mewing’ call. The Spotted Towhee hybridizes with the very similar Eastern Towhee where their ranges overlap in the Great Plains.

6. Diet
The diet of the Spotted Towhee consists primarily of insects, seeds and berries. In the summer, half of the diet consists of beetles, ants, caterpillars, and the spiders. In the winter, they rely heavily on acorns, berries, seeds and sometimes even small fruits.

7. Behavior & Sounds
The Spotted Towhee scratches through leaf litter for food using a two-footed backward hop, then pouncing forward on anything it has uncovered. It has a varied song consisting of a repeated mewing sound and a rapid drink-your-teeeeaa whistle. Males use this song during courting and territory defense.

8. Conservation Status
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Spotted Towhee is considered to be of least concern due to its stable population and vast range.

9. Lifespan
The Spotted Towhee, on average, lives approximately 11 years in the wild, although records of individuals reaching up to 12 years of age in captivity have been noted.

10. Additional Notes
In Spanish, the Spotted Towhee is called Rascador maculado, showcasing its distinctive spotted feature. Spotted Towhees have been known to be quite bold around humans, especially when in parks or public gardens. They play a significant role in the ecosystem by controlling insect populations and dispersing seeds through their droppings.