Once called the rufous-sided towhee, this bird has a new name. Learn what a spotted towhee looks like, sounds like and where to find one.

Spotted towhees are also at home in backyards, forest edges, and overgrown fields. Where to find one: Their warm rufous flanks match the dry leaves they spend their time hopping around in.

Spotted towhees are dramatic birds of black, white and red. (Photo by Mick Thompson) But the biggest way in which these birds establish themselves as convivial members of our daily lives is ...

In spring, towhees will climb to high perches to utter their forceful trillingsongs. (Photo by Ed Stetson) OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA. How about the second part of the name, that odd word “towhee”?

The rufous-sided towhee, with its striking plumage, is a somewhat secretive member of the finch family that flits from beneath vegetation to visit feeders or scratch around in garden litter ...

Editor’s note: This is a monthly article featuring bird species of the Upper Clark Fork River Valley from Butte to Garrison.

Spotted towhees in Missouri are found most often from Kansas City north to Iowa but never in large numbers. The eastern towhee is recognized by its song, “drink your tee-e-e-e.” ...