Eastern Towhee

Pipilo erythrophthalmus
Sparrow family (Emberizidae)

Habitat:
Dense brushy fields, open woodlands

Description:
A large but shy bird that is rarely seen, 7-8” long.  Male (shown in image) –
black head, back, wings, and tail; reddish-brown sides and flanks; white belly.  Female (not shown) – brown where male is black.

Nesting:
Bulky nest, usually placed on the ground.  Eggs are creamy with brown spots.  Clutch size – 3 to 5 eggs.

Voice:
Song has three distinct notes – two whistles followed by a high trill, like “drink your teeeee”.  Sometimes sings the last two notes “your teeee” or just “teeeeee”.  Call is a burry low-pitched “chweeee”.

Name Origin:
Pipilo, Latin, pipo for “chirp” or “peep”; erythrophthalmus:  erythros, Greek for “red”; opthalmus” Greek for “eye”, for its red eyes.

In the Nature Park:
Year-round resident.  Common in forests and dense shrub thickets at the Nature Park.  Their song is easy to recognize.