Eastern Towhee
Eastern TowheeEastern TowheeEastern TowheeEastern Towhee

Eastern Towhee

Pipilo erythrophthalmus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
30–40% · Possible
overall probability at Shenandoah National Park
5,800 Verified records at Shenandoah National Park
April 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 →

30–40% of wildlife watchers report a Eastern Towhee sighting in Shenandoah National Park, based on 5,800 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Shenandoah National Park

Song Sparrow
LC Endemic

Song Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Melospiza melodia

40–50% · Likely
White-throated Sparrow
LC

White-throated Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Zonotrichia albicollis

40–50% · Likely
Chipping Sparrow
LC

Chipping Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spizella passerina

30–40% · Possible
Dark-eyed Junco
LC

Dark-eyed Junco

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Junco hyemalis

30–40% · 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
White-crowned Sparrow
LC

White-crowned Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Zonotrichia leucophrys

<5% · Rare
Grasshopper Sparrow
LC Endemic

Grasshopper Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ammodramus savannarum

<5% · Rare
Savannah Sparrow
LC Endemic

Savannah Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Passerculus sandwichensis

<5% · Rare
Fox Sparrow
LC

Fox Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Passerella iliaca

<5% · Rare
Lincoln's Sparrow
LC

Lincoln's Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Melospiza lincolnii

<5% · Rare
Vesper Sparrow
LC

Vesper Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pooecetes gramineus

<5% · Rare

📅 Monthly Probability

10–20
Jan
10–20
Feb
30–40
Mar
50–60
Apr
40–50
May
40–50
Jun
40–50
Jul
20–30
Aug
20–30
Sep
30–40
Oct
20–30
Nov
10–20
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 Shenandoah National Park?

About 34% of wildlife watchers report a Eastern Towhee sighting in Shenandoah National Park, based on 5,800 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Eastern Towhee in Shenandoah National Park?

April has the highest sighting rate for Eastern Towhee in Shenandoah National Park in our monthly data.

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