The Occurrence and Status of Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) in British Columbia. By Rick Toochin. Submitted: March 2, 2026.

The Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) is found in the eastern United States and the adjacent borderlands of southeastern Canada (Dunn and Alderfer 2011, Greenlaw 2020). This species breeds in southern Manitoba (Dunn and Alderfer 2011), extreme northeastern North Dakota  at the Pembina River (Stewart 1975b), north-central Minnesota (Dunn and Alderfer 2011), northern Michigan including the Upper Peninsula (Dunn and Alderfer 2011), southeastern Ontario around the eastern Great Lakes (Sibley 2000), extreme southern Quebec including the Ottawa Valley and the southwestern St. Lawrence Plain (David 1996b), northwestern and central Vermont (Sibley 2000), north-central New Hampshire (Janeway 1994a), and southern Maine eastward along coast to western Washington County (Adamus 1987). There are isolated breeding populations that occur in the Turtle Mountains of north-central North Dakota in Rolette and Cavalier counties (Stewart 1975b), in eastern Qu'Appelle Valley of southeastern Saskatchewan (Smith 1996b), and possibly in extreme southwestern New Brunswick and central and northern Nova Scotia (Greenlaw 2020). Southward, occurs throughout mid-western and southeastern states to the central Gulf Coast and southern Florida, except on the Florida Keys and absent also from large areas of southern Florida because of there is unsuitable habitat) (Stevenson and Anderson 1994b, Greenlaw 2020).

 

The Eastern Towhee extends as far west as Iowa, except in the northwestern parts of the state (Thompson 1996a), extreme southeastern South Dakota (Whitney et al. 1978) and eastern Nebraska, where species hybridizes locally with Spotted Towhee, especially westward along Platte River (Sibley and West 1959, Mollhoff 2001), eastern Kansas west to about 96°-97°W (Busby and Zimmerman 2001) and extreme northeastern Oklahoma where this species is rare and local (Revels 2004b), south through northern and eastern Arkansas (James and Neal 1986) and eastern and southern Louisiana, but excluding the lower Rio Grande Delta (Greenlaw 2020).

 

This species is migratory in the spring and fall (Greenlaw 2020).

 

The Eastern Towhee winters primarily from southern New England, southeastern New York, southeastern and southwestern Pennsylvania, southeastern Ontario, northern Ohio, northern Indiana, northern Illinois, southern Iowa, and eastern Kansas (Greenlaw 2020), south through eastern Oklahoma (Sutton 1967b, Greenlaw 2020), and the eastern third of Texas (Oberholser 1974c, Greenlaw 2020), and throughout the Southeast, where northern migrants augment numbers of residents in the region (Greenlaw 2020). In the northern part of this species winter range, it occurs in reduced numbers, but usually regular and local (Greenlaw 2020).  The main populations are in the southern states from Texas eastward to southeastern Atlantic Coast (Root 1988b).  The Eastern Towhee is rare, irregular, and local north of the mentioned wintering range (Greenlaw 2020). 

 

The Eastern Towhee does occur as a rare to casual vagrant northward, usually in the fall and in the early winter, to Newfoundland (Tuck 1968b) and Nova Scotia (Tufts 1973), west to the Colorado foothills of the Rocky Mountains (Andrews and Righter 1992).

 

The Eastern Towhee is an accidental vagrant migrant in United Kingdom with a single bird found at Lundy Island, in Devon, England, on June 7, 1966 (Lewington et al. 1992).

 

Along the West Coast the Eastern Towhee is an accidental vagrant. There are 2 photographed records that are accepted by the Oregon Bird Records Committee. The first was a female found at West Linn in Clackamas County on April 3, 2001, and the second record was a male found at the HQ Malheur National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters in Harney County on June 1, 2008 (OFO 2021). The only other west coast record is a recently unearthed photographed bird in British Columbia (R. Toochin Pers. Comm.).

  

The identification of the Eastern Towhee is covered in all standard North American Field Guides. This is a medium-sized species measuring 17.3–20.8 cm in length; with male birds weighing 32–50 grams and female birds weighing 32–52 grams, with a wingspan of 26.67 cm (Sibley 2000, Greenlaw 2020). The following description is taken from Greenlaw (2020). This species is mainly a ground-inhabiting emberizine of woodland thickets. Sexes distinctly dichromatic, but otherwise not highly dimorphic in postnatal plumages. Male strongly patterned, with black hood, dorsum, wings, and tail; hood edge on breast sharply demarcated from contrasting white belly; sides and flanks orange, brown. Where male is black, female is dead-leaf brown. Adults of both sexes are unstreaked and unspotted above and below. In both sexes, bill is conical, mostly or entirely black, culmen curved; tail relatively long, rounded, with white corners that are conspicuous in flight; folded, dark wings framed by white or buff tertial edges and white patch and streak on outer primaries. Hatch-year and second-year males distinguishable by color contrast between dull brown upper primary coverts and black secondary coverts. Skull ossification completed from early November through February, thus permitting aging in both sexes into first fall or early winter. Iris color of adults varies geographically from red in northern and mid-Gulf birds to pale straw yellow (southeastern birds). Feet and legs strong, claws well developed.

 

Juveniles are sparrow-like, cinnamon brown upperparts, buffier underparts, heavily streaked above and below. Juvenile males have brownish-black to black rectrices, and relatively dark, distinct breast-streaks, while females have browner tails, and browner, less distinct chest streaking.

 

Not easily confused with any other species. Unspotted back distinguishes eastern birds from its western relative, Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus), where the 2 species co-occur. Size and relatively long, dark, rounded tail with white corners distinguish juveniles from sparrow allies.

The Eastern Towhee was only recently added to the avifauna of British Columbia. While going through old random photographs the author unearthed a lost series of photographs (R. Toochin Pers. Comm.). The photographs were packed away and lost for years until very recently. This bird was a male found along the east dyke trail at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary on March 9, 1996 (R. Toochin Pers. Comm.). At the time it was thought to be an Eastern Towhee but required further study. Unfortunately, the pictures were misplaced and could not be looked at until this year when they were rediscovered. (R. Toochin Pers. Comm.). The bird was only present the one day but was seen by other people. After sending the photos to experts with experience with both Eastern and Spotted Towhees it was unanimously agreed that the bird was indeed an Eastern Towhee which is what the author suspected at the time of the observation (R. Toochin Pers. Comm.).

There is a single report of an adult male singing found by Roger Taylor and Neil Robins at the Englishman River Estuary, on the Parksville side in March 7, 2007 (Toochin et al. 2014a). Unfortunately, the description given was far too vague to rule out Spotted Towhee (J. Fenneman Pers. Comm.) and there were no photographs (R. Toochin Pers. Comm.). This bird was searched for extensively by several experienced people and the only bird located was a singing male Spotted Towhee (R. Toochin Pers. Comm.). 

The Oregon records do show that this species does wander westward from time to time and should be watched for in the future. It is a species that could show up anywhere in the province.

1.(1) male March 9, 1996: Rick Toochin, mobs (photo) Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary (R. Toochin Pers. Comm.)

Hypothetical Record:
1.(1) adult male singing March 7, 2007: Roger Taylor, Neil Robins: Englishman River Estuary, Parksville side (Toochin and Cecile 2025)

Thanks to Don Cecile for editing the original manuscript. A special thanks to experienced master Bird Bander Rae Xamin from Ontario, Canada for helping with the identification of the bird as well as Bird Bander Angela Hansen from British Columbia, Don Cecile, Dave Baker, and many other people for their help in nailing down the identification of this bird. Also a thanks to Jamie Fenneman for tracking down details of the Vancouver Island sight record.

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