The spotted towhee (Pipilo maculatus) male's wings and back are spotted bright white. The Eastern Towhee and the Spotted Towhee were both named the Rufus-sided Towhee until 1995 when they were determined to be genetically separate species. The Eastern towhee is the same bird in terms of its size and structure but does not have white spots. The spotted towhee has a long, dark, fan-shaped tail with white corners on the end, bright red eyes and dull pink legs. Towhees are ground feeders and use a hop-and-scratch foraging method. There are six species of Towhees in North America; Spotted, Eastern, Green-tailed, Canyon, Abert’s and California. Only the Eastern Towhee is found east of the Mississippi River.
