iTowhees
California Towhee Pipilo crissalis in a garden
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Passeriformes Family: Emberizidae Genus: Pipilo Vieillot, 1816
Species
See text. Brown Towhee Pipilo fuscus A second photograph. ... For other uses, see Scientific classification (disambiguation). ... Phyla Subregnum Parazoa Porifera Subregnum Eumetazoa Placozoa Orthonectida Rhombozoa Radiata (unranked) Ctenophora Cnidaria Bilateria (unranked) Acoelomorpha Myxozoa Superphylum Deuterostomia Chordata Hemichordata Echinodermata Chaetognatha Xenoturbellida Superphylum Ecdysozoa Kinorhyncha Loricifera Priapulida Nematoda Nematomorpha Onychophora Tardigrada Arthropoda Superphylum Platyzoa Platyhelminthes Gastrotricha Rotifera Acanthocephala Gnathostomulida Micrognathozoa Cycliophora Superphylum Lophotrochozoa Sipuncula Nemertea Phoronida Ectoprocta Bryozoa... {{{subdivision_ranks}}} See below Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates. ... Aves redirects here. ... Families Many, see text A passerine is a bird of the giant order Passeriformes. ... The Emberizidae are a large family of passerine birds. ... Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot (May 10, 1748 - 1831) was a French ornithologist. ... 1816 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

A Towhee is any one of a number of species of birds in the genus Pipilo within the family Emberizidae (which also includes the buntings, American sparrows, and juncos). For other uses of the word, please see Genus (disambiguation). ... The Emberizidae are a large family of passerine birds. ... Genera Melophus Latoucheornis Emberiza Plectrophenax Buntings are a group of mainly European passerine birds of the family Emberizidae. ... Genera Arremon Arremonops Melozone Pipilo Aimophila Oriturus Torreornis Spizella Pooecetes Chondestes Amphispiza Calamospiza Passerculus Ammodramus Passerella Xenospiza Melospiza Zonotrichia Junco American sparrows are a group of mainly New World passerine birds forming part of the family Emberizidae. ... Species Junco hyemalis - Dark-eyed Junco Junco insularis - Guadalupe Junco Junco phaeonotus - Yellow-eyed Junco Junco vulcani - Volcano Junco The Juncos, genus Junco, comprise three to eight species of small American sparrow. ...

Towhees typically have longer tails than other emberizids. Most species tend to avoid humans, so they are not well known, though the Eastern Towhee P. erythrophthalamus is bolder as well as more colorful. This species, and some others, may be seen in urban parks and gardens. Binomial name Pipilo erythrophthalmus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Eastern Towhee, Pipilo erythrophthalmus, is a large sparrow. ...

There has been considerable debate over the taxonomy of the towhees in recent years. Two species complexes have been identified, the rufous-sided complex (involving Pipilo erythrophthalmus, P. maculatus, P. socorroensis, P. ocai and P. chlorurus), and the brown towhee complex (involving Pipilo crissalis, P. fuscus, P. aberti and P. albicollis). The distinction of species within these is uncertain and opinions have differed over the years. Modern authorities distinguish all four species in the brown towhee complex, though P. fuscus and P. crissalis were formerly treated as a single species. Hybrids are frequent between some of the species, particularly between the Mexican races of P. maculatus ("Olive-backed Towhee", P. maculatus macronyx) and P. ocai.

Species list:

• Green-tailed Towhee, Pipilo chlorurus,
• Collared Towhee, Pipilo ocai,

"Rufous-sided Towhee" - old name, now split into two species: Binomial name Pipilo chlorurus (Audubon, 1839) The Green-tailed Towhee, Pipilo chlorurus, is the smallest towhee, but is still one of the larger members of the American sparrow family Emberizidae. ...

• Eastern Towhee, Pipilo erythrophthalmus and
• Spotted Towhee, Pipilo maculatus which contains the
  • Olive-backed Towhee, Pipilo maculatus macronyx,

• Socorro Towhee, Pipilo socorroensis,

• "Brown Towhee" - old name, now split into two species:
• California Towhee, Pipilo crissalis and
• Canyon Towhee, Pipilo fuscus,

• Abert's Towhee, Pipilo aberti,
• White-throated Towhee, Pipilo albicollis

Binomial name Pipilo erythrophthalmus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Eastern Towhee, Pipilo erythrophthalmus, is a large sparrow. ... Binomial name Pipilo maculatus Swainson, 1827 The Spotted Towhee, Pipilo maculatus, is a large sparrow. ... Binomial name Pipilo maculatus Swainson, 1827 The Spotted Towhee, Pipilo maculatus, is a large sparrow. ... Binomial name Pipilo crissalis (Vigors, 1839) The California Towhee, Pipilo crissalis, is a bird of the family Emberizidae, native to the coastal regions of the western Oregon and California in the United States and Baja California in Mexico. ... Binomial name Pipilo fuscus Swainson, 1827 The Canyon Towhee or Brown Towhee, Pipilo fuscus, is a bird of the family Emberizidae, native to lower-lying areas of the south-western United States. ... Binomial name Pipilo aberti (Baird, 1852) The Aberts Towhee, Pipilo aberti, is a bird of the family Emberizidae, threatened by cowbird nest parasitism and habitat loss in its small range along the U.S. state of Arizonas borders with California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Mexico. ...

References

• Zink, R. M., & Dittmann, D. L. (1991). Evolution of brown towhees - mitochondrial-DNA evidence. Condor 93: 98-105.

External links

• Towhee videos on the Internet Bird Collection