Image via Wikipedia
Katie Johnson asked me if I had any photographs of the Rufous-sided Towhees that she has seen near her home. Well, Katie, alas and alack, I do not have photos of the Rufous-sided Towhees. KIDDING!! Actually I have photos of the Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus). Several years ago, the people that are responsible for doing such things, separated the Rufous-sided Towhee into two distinct species, the Spotted Towhee and the Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus), pictured here (not my photo). So the rufous-sided is no more. Giving Katie’s geographical location, I suspect she is seeing the Spotted Towhee. They are, obviously, very similar. As you can see from the above Wikipedia photo, the Eastern lacks the spots on the wings. The four photos below are mine and they are all of the Spotted.
Spotted Towhee
Spotted Towhee
Spotted Towhee
Spotted Towhee
So there you have it. I hope everyone enjoyed this article about the Eastern and Spotted Towhees and their differences. Click on the images to see enlargements.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. 🙂
Texas Tweeties by Bob Zeller 
What a lovely bird, I loved the colours… And you captured so nicely, Thank you dear Bob, Happy Thanksgiving Day, with my love, nia
Thank you very much, Nia
Hi Bob – I am learning amazing things from your blog – Can you expand on what you said about the original species being no more, and ‘the people who are responsible for doing such things’ splitting the species into two separate ones? The first point sounds odd because surely the original species of Rufous-sided Towhees will still breed and spread in the wild? The second sounds rather unethical, unless there was a distinct reason for it? Just interested, Bob! Magic photos as ever!
Take care
John
Check out this link, John. It will explain a bit further. :
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_towhee/lifehistory/
Thanks for your interest in this. I know sometimes these things are questionable. There are other examples of this as well. I may get into this a bit further in another post.
Nice post, Bob. Rumor has it that there were Eastern Towhees seen in the blind at Pedernales Falls SP sometime last week, but on my visit on Sunday all I saw were the spotted variety. Darn pretty bird though and your shots are fantastic. Have a blessed and safe Thanksgiving.
Thanks, Jim. BTW, about Pedernales Falls SP, is it difficult to get to the blinds. I.E. is there close parking so I don’t have to tote my big Beast too far?
Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. 🙂
Very short trip from parking spot to the blinds. Certainly a shorter walk from the parking spots than to any of the blinds at South Llano River SP. A little longer than the immediate parking at SASP, but not much longer.
It seems like PFSP may have moved the parking a little closer to the blinds when they built the new one a couple of years ago. Decent benches in the blind, too, though I’d prefer maybe a hair higher.
Very informative post Bob, your photos are lovely.
Thanks, Mia. I have to keep going to my guides and Wikipedia to get some of my facts. 🙂
Ooh, you are so right, Bob! I’m staying at someone’s house, and I looked at his guide, which says Rufous. Silly me. I thought it was a strange name for my bird, but then it was the bird I know, so i thought I was wrong. But I am home now, and just looked at my Peterson guide, and yep, it’s Spotted! 🙂
I love the way the birds’ look. The plumb chest, such attitude, and I get a thrill when I hear that digging in the leaves.
Thanks so much for these photos, Bob!
At first you were right, but your guide wasn’t updated yet. I think they keep changing birds names just to keep us on our toes. 🙂 And they do have attitude, don’t they. I am glad I had the photos to show you. Many thanks for the great comment.
I have had these guys in my garden too,(tho I am not sure which one) and we do not get many colourful birds out here so he kind of stood out! c
Thanks, Celima for the comments. They do stand out. 🙂
What delightful birds..We have the Green Tailed Towhee here in Colorado. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family
You probably have a Spotted Towhee there on occasion, depending on the time of the year. We have the Green-tailed out west in the Big Bend area, but not around here in San Angelo. Thanks for commenting, and Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, too.
The Eastern Towhees have been some of my common visitors in my backyard. I like them!
I love the way they flash the white of their tails.
Nice photos as always Bob!
Thank you very much, H.J.