H.J. Ruiz – Avian101

Male House Finch — Click to see enlargement —

© HJ Ruiz – Avian101

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ANSWER TO SUNDAY PHOTO QUIZ

Can you ID this bird?

ANSWER: Juvenile, male EASTERN TOWEE

The Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) 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. There has been one record of this species as a vagrant to western Europe; a single bird in Great Britain in 1966. Adults have rufous sides, a white belly and a long dark tail with white edges. The eyes are red, white for birds in the southeast. Males have a black head, upper body and tail; these parts are brown in the female. Juveniles are brown overall. Eastern towhees of all ages and both sexes are generally unmistakable.

Thank you very much for your participation to the quiz, your comments are also appreciated! – H.J.