Hiking along the trails in the Silicon Valley area, you are likely to see and hear towhees. These common native California birds are similar in build to sparrows but in larger form.
Towhees are medium-sized passerine birds (perching birds) belonging to the Pipilo and Melozone genera. Members of the taxonomic family Passerellidae, known as the “New World sparrows.” Found in North and Central America, Passerellidae have thick, strong bills adapted to cracking seeds, and long tails.
What species of towhees are in the Silicon Valley area?
There are two main species of towhees native to the Santa Cruz Mountain area: the California towhee (Melozone crissalis) and the spotted towhee (Pipilo maculatus). Both species are known for their ground foraging behavior, scratching noisily in leaf litter for seeds and insects. Towhees use a characteristic “double-scratch” behavior, where they jump forward and then hop back to uncover insects or seeds under leaves.
California towhee
California towhees have a uniformly brownish-gray color that can appear almost plain at first glance, but they have subtle warm tones on their undertail coverts (the feathers beneath the base of the tail also known as the crissum). This camouflaging helps the California towhee to blend in with the soils of Chaparral and shrub plant communities.
California towhees are common trailside birds, often seen foraging along with sparrows and dark-eyed juncos along pathways. They are also highly adapted to Northern California suburbs and are common backyard and park birds.
California towhee (Melozone crissalis) quick facts
- Appearance: Plain brownish-gray overall, with slightly warmer undertail feathers.
- Habitat: Often seen in suburban yards, parks, and brushy areas.
- Diet: Forages on the ground for insects, seeds, and berries.
- Call: Characteristic metallic “chip” sound, usually heard before the bird is seen.
- Behavior: Uses a “double-scratch” method—hopping forward then back—to uncover food under leaves.
Spotted towhee
More vibrantly colored than its cousin, the spotted towhee has a black (or dark gray in females) head and back, white spots on their wings, and orange-brown flanks. Spotted towhees also have dark red eyes.
Spotted towhees are harder to spot than the California Towhee. Spotted towhees spend a lot of time in shrubs and scratching around in the understory of forests looking for food. The rufous coloring of their flanks helps them to blend in with dried forest leaves when on the ground. Springtime is the easiest time to see spotted towhees as the males spend more time singing from perches in bushes.
Spotted towhees favor more secluded forest and woodland areas and are not as common as California towhees in suburban areas.
Spotted towhee (Pipilo maculatus) quick facts
- Appearance: Black head and back (grayish-brown in females), white spots on the wings, and orange-brown flanks.
- Habitat: Prefers dense shrubs and woodland edges; often found in semi-open areas with plenty of ground cover.
- Diet: Consumes insects, seeds, and fruits; like the California towhee, it frequently forages by scratching the ground.
- Call: Has a sharp “chewink” or “zree” sound, along with a musical trill in its song.
- Behavior: Tends to be shyer than the California towhee, quickly diving into cover when disturbed.
Green-tailed towhee (Pipilo chlorurus)
Occasionally, a green-tailed towhee may pass through the broader region during migration, but these birds are far less common in Silicon Valley compared to the California and spotted towhees.
