Spotted Towhee Sounds

Overview
ID info
Life History
Maps
Sounds

Song
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Utah, June 06, 1990Recorded by Geoffrey A. Keller | Macaulay Library
Song
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Arizona, July 15, 1996Recorded by Curtis Marantz | Macaulay Library
Song
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California, June 01, 1995Recorded by Randolph Little | Macaulay Library
Calls
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Oregon, June 04, 1989Recorded by Geoffrey A. Keller | Macaulay Library
Flight calls
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California, March 26, 2009Recorded by Nathan Pieplow
Song (Olive-backed)
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Distrito Federal, January 27, 2017Recorded by Manuel Grosselet | Macaulay Library
Song (Socorro)
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Colima, November 23, 2014Recorded by Nuria Meza | Macaulay Library
Calls (Socorro)
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Colima, November 23, 2014Recorded by Nuria Meza | Macaulay Library

Sounds provided by Macaulay Library.
Listen to more sounds of this species from the ML archive.

Songs

Spotted Towhees have a fairly simple song, a drier faster take on the Eastern Towhee’s drink-your-tea song that often omits the middle section. It lasts about 1.5 seconds. The song starts with one or two (up to eight) short introductory notes and then a fast trill that can sound like a taut rubber band being plucked, or a piece of paper stuck into a fan. Some Spotted Towhee songs have just the trill phrase only.

Calls

Spotted Towhees make a catlike mew call, a little more than a half-second long. It seems to be used for scolding as well as by perched or foraging birds. Pairs sometimes exchange a soft, lisping call to stay in contact. Spotted Towhees also give a high, thin flight call.