Eastern Towhee
Eastern TowheeEastern TowheeEastern TowheeEastern Towhee

Eastern Towhee

Pipilo erythrophthalmus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
40–50% · Likely
overall probability at Great Smoky Mountains National Park
3,088 Verified records at Great Smoky Mountains National Park
July Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The eastern towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus), also known as chewink, joree, or joree bird, is a large New World sparrow. The taxonomy of the towhees has been under debate in recent decades, and formerly this bird and the spotted towhee were considered a single species, the rufous-sided towhee. Their breeding habitat is brushy areas across eastern North America. They nest either low in bushes or on the ground under shrubs. Northern birds migrate to the southern United States. One of this species was recorded as a vagrant to western Europe, a single bird in Great Britain in 1966. Wikipedia →

40–50% of wildlife watchers report a Eastern Towhee sighting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, based on 3,088 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Song Sparrow
LC Endemic

Song Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Melospiza melodia

50–60% · Likely
Chipping Sparrow
LC

Chipping Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spizella passerina

20–30% · Possible
Dark-eyed Junco
LC

Dark-eyed Junco

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Junco hyemalis

20–30% · Possible
White-throated Sparrow
LC

White-throated Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Zonotrichia albicollis

20–30% · Possible
Field Sparrow
LC

Field Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spizella pusilla

10–20% · With luck
Swamp Sparrow
LC

Swamp Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Melospiza georgiana

5–10% · With luck
Savannah Sparrow
LC Endemic

Savannah Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Passerculus sandwichensis

<5% · Rare
Fox Sparrow
LC

Fox Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Passerella iliaca

<5% · Rare
White-crowned Sparrow
LC

White-crowned Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Zonotrichia leucophrys

<5% · Rare
Vesper Sparrow
LC

Vesper Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pooecetes gramineus

<5% · Rare
Grasshopper Sparrow
LC Endemic

Grasshopper Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ammodramus savannarum

<5% · Rare
Clay-colored Sparrow
LC

Clay-colored Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spizella pallida

<5% · Rare

📅 Monthly Probability

30–40
Jan
40–50
Feb
40–50
Mar
40–50
Apr
40–50
May
40–50
Jun
50–60
Jul
30–40
Aug
30–40
Sep
20–30
Oct
30–40
Nov
30–40
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
40–50%
2 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
30–40%
3 Congaree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
20–30%
4 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
20–30%
5 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
6 Riding Mountain National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
5–10%
7 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
8 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Eastern Towhee in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?

About 42% of wildlife watchers report a Eastern Towhee sighting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, based on 3,088 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Eastern Towhee in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?

July has the highest sighting rate for Eastern Towhee in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in our monthly data.

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