| Common Name | Eastern Towhee |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Pipilo erythrophthalmus |
| Type of Report | Out-of-Season |
| Date of Observation | 03/01/2025 |
| Number Observed | 1 |
| Reporting Observer's Name | Kenneth Cox |
| Mailing Address | 28 North Puckerbrush Road South Reading, VT 05153 United States Map It |
| Email hidden; Javascript is required. | |
| Date Completed | 03/01/2025 |
| Names & Emails of Other Contributing Observers | None. |
| Latitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | 43.284692 |
| Longitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | 72.406367 |
| Place Name | Higgins residence |
| Township | Springfield |
| County | Windsor |
| Vermont eBird Checklist URL | ebird.org |
| Time of Day | 01:55 PM |
| Length of Time Observed | A second or two. |
| Maximum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 100 |
| Minimum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 100 |
| Noteworthy Weather Conditions | Cloudy sky, temperature mid 30s, no precipitation. |
| Optical Equipment Used for Observation | Swarovski EL 8.5 X 42 binoculars. |
| Observer’s Previous Acquaintance With This or Similar Species | Extensive: 211 eBird records on file representing sightings from 13 states. |
| I certify that any attachments included with this report were captured during this observation event. | |
| Description of Habitat | Habitat is best described as a side yard with a large lilac bush as cover, and bird feeder(s). Other birds present were Morning Doves, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Black-capped Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, Blue Jay, American Crows, House Finches, American Goldfinches, American Tree Sparrows, and Dark-eyed Juncos. |
| Behaviors Observed | Other than seeing the bird flying into the lilac bush and almost immediately dropping out of sight behind a snowbank, no other behaviors were observed. |
| Description of Vocalizations | None heard. |
| Verbal Narrative & Description of Observation | An out-of-season bird seen at the Higgins residence on Old Connecticut River Road. An adult male plumage bird flew into the large lilac bush on north side of house where bird feeder(s) are located but out of sight from the road. It was seen for a second or two, too brief to get my camera on it, and before it dropped out of view behind a large pile of snow that was plowed up against the bush. I stayed put with camera at the ready for about 15 minutes, but the bird did not reveal itself. A male in adult plumage; bird's left side was observable only. Head, neck and upper breast were entirely black with no contrasting features; upperparts (back, rump, and upper tail surface) were also entirely black. Wing was black with a small white patch at base of primary feathers. Side of breast and flank were prominently rufous. |
| Relative Size & Shape | Not quite as large as a Northern Cardinal. |
| Head | Head was entirely black (hooded); eye color was not seen. |
| Feet & Bill | Details of feet and bill were not noted during brief observation time. |
| Upper Back | Black. |
| Lower Back & Rump | Black. |
| Wings | Black with notable white patch at base of primary feathers. |
| Breast, Belly, Flanks, Under Tail Coverts | Breast and belly were not seen well. Flank (bird's left side only) from bottom edge of hood extending along side of breast and flank were prominently rufous. Undertail coverts were not seen. |
| Tail | Black. Otherwise, any other details (such as white in tail) were not noted during brief observation time. |
| IMPORTANT: What similar species were eliminated when making the identification and how was this bird different? | No other endemic bird species that occur in Vermont or other northeastern states at any time of the year is apt to be confused with a male Eastern Towhee. Rarely the western Spotted Towhee may show up in New England (one Vermont record from November 1990). However, this species can be easily differentiated from Eastern Towhee by having much more white in the wings, i.e. white spotting in the wings and on the back. |
| Other Notes & Comments | Bird was in adult male plumage. |
| This report was written from notes taken: | Immediately After |
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