The Eastern Towhee is a large, striking sparrow with jet-black hood, rufous sides, and white belly in males, and rufous-brown and white in females. It forages by double-scratching — jumping forward and raking back with both feet simultaneously to flip leaf litter. Its 'drink-your-teeeea' song is one of the most distinctive and easily learned of eastern birds.
Best time to see a Eastern Towhee
The best time to see a Eastern Towhee is March–June, when about 64% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 37,908 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Not certain it is a Eastern Towhee? What bird is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
Recent Eastern Towhee sightings near you
Live, research-grade observations from iNaturalist. Allow location to center the map on you.
Spot a Eastern Towhee? Identify it instantly.
Point Huck at any plant, bird, or animal for an instant ID, its rarity, and a live map of where it is being seen near you.
Get HuckGet an alert when a Eastern Towhee is spotted
Pick a park, state, or city and we’ll email you when one turns up there. One check a day, only when there’s something new.
Free. Unsubscribe from any email. See our Privacy Policy.
Love birds? Get Huck field notes
Spotting tips, new species, and the best of what people are finding in the wild - straight to your inbox.