A Tale of Two Towhees

California Towhee

California Towhee

The most drab, mundane and unappreciated bird in our neighborhood is the California Towhee (Pipilo crissalis).  Their plumage is nothing to write home about, and their song is just as undistinguished.  Hardly anybody notices them, just another bird in the yard.  However, once you take notice of them, you will see them everywhere. They are one of the most common birds of the Bay Area.

California Towhees are native to this area and historically lived in dry chaparral areas.  They have adapted very well to the suburban environment.  They are seed eaters and make their nests in low shrubs, includig poison oak bushes.  The Cornell Lab of Ornithology says that they commonly attack their reflections in windows and car mirrors, but I have never seen them do that.

Spotted Towhee

Spotted Towhee

Spotted Towhee

Their cousin, the Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus), formerly called the Rufus Sided Towhee, is a much more handsome bird but more rare than the California variety.  I have seen them around our yard from time to time, but it has been difficult to get a good picture of them because they are a lot more skittish than their drab cousins. During a late March rainy day, a couple of them visited our feeder and stuck around long enough for me to get a good shot.  Then this week I noticed one making a nest near an open space park and got a couple more photos to share.

The spotted towhee is just a bit smaller than the California towhee, and it seems that they are a bit lower in the pecking order as well.  Those bland towhee will bully and chase off their dapper cousins, at least around our bird feeder.