Pipilo
A Towhee is any one of a number of species of birds in the genus Pipilo within the family Emberizidae (which also includes the buntings, American sparrows, and juncos).
Towhees typically have longer tails than other emberizids. Most species have rather skulking habits, so they are not well known, though the Eastern Towhee P. erythrophthalamus is bolder as well as more colorful. This species, and some others, frequent urban parks and gardens.
There has been considerable debate over the taxonomy of the towhees in recent years. Two species complexes, the brown towhee complex (involving Pipilo fuscus, P. albicollis, P. aberti and P. crissalis) and the rufous-sided complex (involving Pipilo erythrophthalmus and P. maculatus), have been identified. The distinction of species within these is uncertain and opinions have differed over the years. Modern authorities distinguish all four species in the brown towhee complex, though P. fuscus, and P. crissalis were formerly treated as a single species.
Species list (possibly incomplete):
- White-throated Towhee, Pipilo albicollis
- Collared Towhee, Pipilo ocai
- Green-tailed Towhee, Pipilo chlorurus
- Canyon or Brown Towhee, Pipilo fuscus
- Abert's Towhee, Pipilo aberti
- California Towhee, Pipilo crissalis
- Eastern or Rufous-sided Towhee, Pipilo erythrophthalmus
- Spotted Towhee, Pipilo maculatus
- Socorro Towhee, Pipilo socorroensis
Reference
- Zink, R. M., & Dittmann, D. L. (1991). Evolution of brown towhees - mitochondrial-DNA evidence. Condor, 93, 98-105.
Referenced By
Brown Towhee | California Towhee | Canyon Towhee
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