Life List 004
Portfolio in progress
Spotted Towhee
Pipilo maculatus
- First photographed
- December 25, 2025
- First location
- Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States
- Conservation status
- Least Concern
The encounter
Field journal
On Christmas morning, December 25, 2025, Rob and I were hiking in Colorado Springs when we encountered a Spotted Towhee moving low through the winter vegetation. The bird hopped across the ground, disappeared into the surrounding bushes, and emerged again as it foraged for seeds and berries. Its black hood, bright white markings, warm rufous sides, and red eye stood out against the muted tangle of dry stems. These photographs became the first visual documentation of Spotted Towhee and Visual Life List No. 004.
An evolving study
Spotted Towhee portfolio
This collection grows as I return to photograph new behavior, habitat, seasons, and stages of life.
Natural history
Species at a glance
Pipilo maculatus
Overview
Spotted Towhees are large, striking sparrows of western North America. They spend much of their time close to the ground beneath dense vegetation, where they hop through leaf litter searching for food. They are often detected first by the rustling sounds created as they scratch among dry leaves and debris.
Identification
The Spotted Towhee is a large, chunky sparrow with a thick pointed bill and long rounded tail. Adult males have a jet-black head, throat, and upperparts; females replace the black with grayish brown. Both display bright white spots across the wings and back, warm rufous flanks, a white belly, and white corners on the tail. Their eyes are typically red.
Range
Spotted Towhees occur throughout much of western North America. Many southern populations remain within the same general region year-round, while birds from northern and interior areas migrate south or move onto the Great Plains during winter.
Habitat
This species inhabits dry thickets, brushy tangles, forest edges, overgrown fields, shrubby backyards, chaparral, canyon bottoms, and other places offering dense vegetation near the ground. Areas with plentiful leaf litter provide especially productive foraging habitat.
Diet
Spotted Towhees eat insects, spiders, seeds, acorns, berries, and other plant material. Insects and other invertebrates become particularly important during the breeding season, while seeds, berries, and other plant foods make up more of the diet during fall and winter. They frequently uncover food by jumping backward and scratching the ground with both feet.
Order
Family
Regions documented
Behaviors photographed
From the field
The towhee was photographed while it moved and foraged naturally along our hiking route. Its location is kept broad as Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Photography by Brittany Templin