Spotted Towhee a.k.a. Rufous-sided Towhee
- ORDER: Passeriformes
- FAMILY: Passerellidae
When I first saw these birds in Mid-March, I thought from a distance that I was looking at a member of the grosbeak family. Until I grabbed the binoculars and realized that it had a conical bill and a distinctive red eye. I’ll get a better picture when I can.
Also though, check out the head on that bird. Very black head and neck. The black ends in a definite V in the front. This picture doesn’t do it justice. The male has more red under it’s wings and towards the belly than does the female. Whereas the male has an in-your-face, boldly black head, the female is more of a dark brown.
Since writing this page, we have been visited by a Black-headed Grosbeak. They are indeed very similar birds.
La Casa Del Sol 