Catching The Red-Eye

Day 89: "Catching the red-eye" isn't easy! Spotted (Rufous-Sided) Towhee is a ground-feeder, and a hoppy scratcher who is in constant motion. He plants his toes in soil or grass and jump-slides backwards, causing seed and bugs to fly into the air where he can see them. His tail is also active, flicking every few seconds. His active nature and habit of preferring to feed in the shelter of brush makes this robin-sized bird a difficult photographic subject indeed!

Our western version (Pipilo maculatus) shows more white spots on the wings than Eastern Towhee (P. erythrophthalmus), hence the common name. The voice is distinctly different with our western species calling its name, "too-EEE, too-EEE!" rather than the "Drink-your-teeaa! familiar to birders in the eastern US. That said, human pronunciations of "Towhee" vary even more widely: "TOW-ee" (like "cow"), TOE-ee (like "toe") or "TOO-ee" (the way I learned it.) Some people pronounce the H; others put the em-PHA-sis on the final syl-LA-ble.

Young Towhees' eyes may remain brown for some time after their feathers take on adult colouration. Adult female Towhees may demonstrate a black-crowned dark grey head. Young birds are brown and speckled, and resemble female Black-Headed Grosbeaks superficially, but observation of the feeding habit will clear up any possible mystery.