Birds of Texas

Rufous-Sided Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) 7-8 ¾”

(Click on picture to enlarge)

© 2000 Walter Bauer, San Antonio, Texas

Field Marks:  Smaller and more slender than a Robin.  Reddish confined to the sides.  Often detected by noisy rummaging among dead leaves.  Male:  Entire head and upper parts black as above.  Side’s robin red and the belly is white. Large white spots show toward outer tips of ample tail.  In the eastern half of Texas most birds are of the typical eastern race, P. e. erythrophthalmus, and have unspotted backs. In the western half, two or three western races are represented in which the back is marked with rows of white spots.  Female:  Similar, but dusky brown where male is black.  Young birds in summer are streaked below like large slender sparrows but have the telltale Towhee wing and tail pattern.

Voice:  Song of eastern bird sounds like; drink your teeee, last syllable higher, wavering.  Call, a loud chewink! or shrink or zreee.  Western birds sing a buzzy trill, chweeee, or chup chup chup zeeee.  Call sounds more like shrank or wank.

Where found:  South Canada south to Guatemala, and the eastern Gulf coast. Migrant in the North.

Texas:  Winters (Oct – Apr) throughout.  Breeds in the mountains of the Trans-Pecos. 

Habitat: Brush, thickets, edges..

Nest:  A lose cup on ground or in bush. Eggs 4-6 spotted.