Spotted Towhee

Another regular visitor to our backyard in Abbotsford, B.C. is the Spotted Towhee (scientific name is Pipilo maculates).

These sparrow type birds can frequently be seen on the ground around bushes in the yard. They have a black head and back, rufous coloured sides and a white belly. Eyes in adults are red.

The three top pictures were all taken in August 2012 in my backyard. The top two pictures are of an adult, while the bottom picture is of a juvenile.  The picture below was taken in VanDusen Botanical Gardens in Vancouver in May 2011. The Spotted Towhee is found in the Western part of North America. In Canada they are found from Southern British Columbia across to Southern Saskatchewan. They winter in the Southwest of the USA and Mexico.