With its red eye, black head and back, white-spots on its black wings and rufous sides, it is easy to identify this large member of the sparrow family. The Spotted Towhee is found across the western US and into parts of southern western Canada. A similar looking bird, the Eastern Towhee, Pipilo erythrophthalmus, covers the eastern range of the continent.

The female is some similar to the male, but overall much paler. The Spotted Towhee
feeds by scratching the ground searching for seeds and insects.