Spotted Towhee
Pipilo maculatus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyPasserellidae (New World Sparrows)
- GenusPipilo (Typical Towhees)
- SpeciesPipilo maculatus (Spotted Towhee)
The spotted towhee (Pipilo maculatus) is a large New World sparrow. The taxonomy of the towhees has been debated in recent decades, and until 1995 this bird and the eastern towhee were considered a single species, then named rufous-sided towhee. Another outdated name for the spotted towhee is the Oregon towhee (particularly for the subspecies Pipilo maculatus oregonus). The call may be harsher and more varied than for the eastern towhee. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Spotted Towhee sighting in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, based on 314 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Pacific Rim National Park Reserve
Song Sparrow
Melospiza melodia
Fox Sparrow
Passerella iliaca
White-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrys
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
Savannah Sparrow
Passerculus sandwichensis
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia atricapilla
Sooty Fox Sparrow
Passerella unalaschcensis
Lincoln's Sparrow
Melospiza lincolnii
White-throated Sparrow
Zonotrichia albicollis
Chipping Sparrow
Spizella passerina
Vesper Sparrow
Pooecetes gramineus
Swamp Sparrow
Melospiza georgiana
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
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
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Spotted Towhee in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve?
About 12% of wildlife watchers report a Spotted Towhee sighting in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, based on 314 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Spotted Towhee in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve?
October has the highest sighting rate for Spotted Towhee in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve in our monthly data.