Eastern Towhee Photo Gallery
Adult male
Large sparrow with thick bill and long tail. Male has black throat, head, and upperparts. Sides are rufous; belly is white. Tail corners are white and especially visible in flight.
© Jack & Holly Bartholmai / Macaulay LibraryWisconsin, May 02, 2014Female/immature
Females have brown head, throat, and back; white belly; rufous sides. In most of range, eye is dark.
© Marky Mutchler / Macaulay LibraryMissouri, March 21, 2020Adult male (White-eyed)
Individuals in Florida and parts of Alabama through North Carolina have pale eyes instead of dark or reddish eyes.
© Daniel Emlin / Macaulay LibraryFlorida, February 08, 2019Juvenile
Large sparrow with long tail. Juveniles are brownish and heavily streaked from hatching into their first fall.
© Mark R Johnson / Macaulay LibraryMaryland, July 23, 2020Female/immature
Large, long-tailed sparrow typically found on the ground. Females have brown head, throat, and back; white belly; rufous sides.
© Mark R Johnson / Macaulay LibraryMaryland, November 25, 2016Adult male
Males sing loud, short songs, often transcribed as Drink your tea, but varying considerably.
© Andres Vasquez Noboa / Macaulay LibraryOhio, May 11, 2019Adult male
Note white flashes in tail corners and white check mark in folded wing. In most of range, eye is dark or reddish.
© Davey Walters / Macaulay LibraryVirginia, April 20, 2016Juvenile
This individual has the streaked underparts of a juvenile but is developing the black upperparts of male plumage.
© Bert Fisher / Macaulay LibraryNorth Carolina, August 12, 2019Adult male
"Red-eyed" Eastern Towhees have extensive white tips to the outer tail feathers.
© Michael Cerizo / Macaulay LibraryNebraska, May 11, 2017Adult male
Occurs in dense shrubby habitats and forest edges. Usually forages on the ground by scratching in thick leaf litter.
© Brad Vatrt / Macaulay LibraryNew York, June 17, 2017Compare with Similar Species
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Species in This Family
New World Sparrows(Order: Passeriformes, Family: Passerellidae)
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