Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)

Juvenile Eastern Towhee

July 26, 2026

I happened to capture an image of a juvenile Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) a couple weeks ago. It, along with Mom and Dad were enjoying the birdbath which brings in many birds that I wouldn’t see otherwise.

This early stage of plumage is only kept for a few weeks after fledging. They then go through what is called a performative molt which happens in late summer. This is a replacement of most of their body feathers and some wing coverts, leaving them with an adult-like pattern their first winter.

Continuing through that first winter there is a replacement of primary coverts and the changing of their eye color from brown to their remarkable deep red. Around May of their first year they will have fully shifted into their total adult look.

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The Solitary Towhee

February 5, 2026

Many many birds have been coming for the hulled sunflower seeds I’ve been putting out for them. Mostly White-throated Sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis) along with a few other species including this single elusive Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus), showing up just every now and then. Not even every day.

This one, the one that comes by, is a male. He has a black head, upper body, and tail. I see a female, as well as a male, during the summer. Unlike the male, her head, upper body, and tail are brown instead of black; otherwise they are alike.

The Eastern Towhee, quite the solitary bird.

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A Pair Of Towhees

May 17, 2025

He came by just before lunch today. Splashing around in the birdbath to get those feathers clean. He had enough of the cleaning and went to a perch to shake off the water and get his feathers in order again. A male Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus).

Just a couple minutes later, she must have decided that the birdbath was empty. She came close to be sure, then with no more hesitation got in and started splashing around just like he had done. Then, like he did, she went to a tree branch, shook off the water, tidied up her feathers and flew off in the direction he had gone. A female Eastern Towhee.

I see the male Towhee from time to time but the female is unusual to see. Glad I got to see both of them today!

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A Female Towhee

May 1, 2025

This afternoon, a female Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) came by to take a dip in the birdbath.

I so seldom see a female Towhee that it took a moment for me to realize what it was. When males and females of the same species of birds are different in appearance like this, it is called sexual dimorphism.

And you know the mnemonic for Towhees, “Drink your tea?” The female rarely sings that song. I hear that so very often. I’ll have to figure out what song the female sings.

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The Elusive Towhee

March 27, 2025

Another solitary bird. One that is around but not obvious, since it enjoys dense shrubs and lots of leaf litter in which to search for their next meal of seeds or insects. An Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus). The male Towhee sings its song, an easy one to remember, “Drink your teeeeea!”

A bird that is here year round near my cabin.

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The Solitary Towhee

January 17, 2025

The Eastern Towhee’s (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) native range is eastern North America, from southeastern Canada south to Florida and west to eastern Texas.

A solitary bird that has been out looking for seeds to eat with the many birds that are showing up in my garden these snowy days. Just one though, with no Towhee buddies.

There is a white-eyed phase of the Eastern Towhee which can be found in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and South and North Carolina and a small bit of southern Virginia along the Atlantic coast.

What a shock that would be to see. Their dark red eyes are such a distinctive feature.

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