Spotted Towhee Sounds

Overview
ID info
Life History
Maps
Sounds

Song
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Utah, April 19, 1991Recorded by Kevin J. Colver / Macaulay Library
Song
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California, April 29, 1961Recorded by William R. Fish / Macaulay Library
Song
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South Dakota, May 27, 2013Recorded by Wil Hershberger / Macaulay Library
Complex song
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California, March 26, 2009Recorded by Nathan Pieplow
Calls
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Utah, April 19, 1991Recorded by Kevin J. Colver / Macaulay Library
Calls
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California, June 03, 1992Recorded by Randolph Little / Macaulay Library
Calls
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Oaxaca, March 31, 2019Recorded by Jay McGowan / Macaulay Library
Calls
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California, June 05, 1996Recorded by Gregory Budney / Macaulay Library
Flight calls
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California, April 04, 2011Recorded by Nick Roth / Macaulay Library
Song (Olive-backed)
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Ciudad de México, 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.