Spotted Towhee

Pipilo maculatus
STANFORD LOCATIONS:

Fairly common resident virtually throughout campus, primarily in dense patches of brushy vegetation. Distributed fairly sparsely on most of main campus but more common and widespread in woodland and scrub habitats near the Dish and around faculty housing. Less common and widespread than the California Towhee, and generally restricted to dense vegetation, unlike California.
  
Nest
Location
Nest
Type
Eggs
Mating System
Dev.
Parental Care
Primary &
2ndary Diet
Foraging
Strategy
F-M?
I: 12-13 DAYS
ALTRICIAL
SHRUB
 0 - 5 feet
(To 18 feet)
F
3-4
(2-6)
MONOG
F: 10-12 DAYS
MF
SEEDS
FRUIT
FOLIAGE GLEAN
BREEDING: Forest edge, chaparral, riparian thickets, woodland. 2 broods, occ 3 in s.
DISPLAYS: From elevated perch male spreads tail showing white spots, raises wings and fluffs body feathers; may rapidly spread and fold tail and wings to flash white spots.
NEST: Often in scratched depression, rim of cup flush with ground surface; of leaves, grass, bark, twigs, rootlets, lined with fine grass, hair. Female selects site.
EGGS: Grayish to creamy white, spotted with browns, often wreathed or capped. 1.0" (24 mm).
DIET: Includes terrestrial invertebrates, grass and forb seeds, acorns (esp in winter), berries. Nestlings fed insects, some fruit.
CONSERVATION: Winter resident, except in n portion of range; found s to Guatemala. Frequent cowbird host; apparently does not cover or eject parasite eggs.
NOTES: Double-scratch foraging and mouselike run of female as in Green-tailed Towhee. Female broods nestlings; male then does most of feeding. Female occ feigns injury to distract predator from nest. Female may sing in early spring. Second broods normally produced by same mates within original territory; first egg produced 8-21 days after first brood fledges. Family groups remain together through summer. Often bathes in dew or fog drip on veg. Forms loose winter flocks.
ESSAYS: Vocal Functions; Vocal Dialects; Great Plains Hybrids; Cowbirds; Bathing and Dusting.
REFERENCES: Ewert, 1980; Greenlaw, 1978; Richards, 198lb.

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Except for Stanford Locations, the material in this species treatment is taken, with permission, from The Birder's Handbook (Paul Ehrlich, David Dobkin, & Darryl Wheye, Simon & Schuster, NY. 1988).