Juvenile Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus)

(Written on July 5, 2017)
At the border of the Franciscan and Canyon Sections, there is a tributary that flows down by the greenhouse and joins Wildcat Creek under the bridge. Near the bridge there grow red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa) and California pipevine (Aristolochia californica). This rushing side creek becomes a trickle or disappears altogether in the dry season. In July, instead of water, there is lush vegetation on the canyon floor. This is the favorite habitat of brush-loving birds.

Walking up the steep trail from the bridge to the greenhouse, we saw, on the right slope, a dark brown bird with thick beak and a sparrow-like streaky pattern on its underside. It was larger than a sparrow, approaching the size of a thrush. Then we saw its very long tail. Near the tip on the underside of the tail, two distinct white almost rectangular marks stood out from the ground of gray tail feathers.

Three outer tail feathers.
Evolution of the Colors of North American Land Birds by Charles A. Keeler. 1893

The white tail spots told us right away that it was a juvenile Spotted Towhee. Lacking the adult’s rufous flanks, lines of white spots on the sleek black back, or red iris in the eye, this young bird did not at all resemble its parents in plumage; but in body shape it was very much a towhee. Towhees (Pipilo) are a genus of New World sparrows. The adults do not share the intricate brown and black streaks that we commonly associate with sparrows. However, in the developmental stage of the young birds, a remarkable resemblance to sparrows is apparent.

When we stood under the valley oak (Quercus lobata) near the grind stones, an adult Spotted Towhee started singing its fast dry trills from a low manzanita. It sounded a little agitated. Soon a juvenile flew out and went on to walk on a horizontal branch of coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) trying out its balance beam skills. Another adult showed up by the path toward the greenhouse and repeatedly called out “wrang-ng” loudly. Then the second juvenile appeared.

Based on their proximity to one another, we believed they were one family. The parents were chaperoning their children’s foray into the world!

Juvenile Spotted Towhee, probably from the second brood of the year.
Southern California Section. September 10, 2015. By Wen Hsu.