I am often fooled by Eastern Towhees (Pipilo erythrophthalmus). Whenever I see a flash of rusty brown feathers on a dark bird, I assume that it is an American Robin. If a towhee stays still long enough, it is easy to tell that it is not a robin—the color pattern and the bill shape are completely different from those of a robin. The problem is that towhees are often in constant motion, foraging about in the undergrowth, so it is hard to get a good look at one.
I was fortunate last week when an Eastern Towhee popped out of the brush at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge and perched for a moment on the branch of a small tree, allowing me to capture a shot of this very colorful sparrow.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Nice capture, Mike.
Thanks, Dan.
Nice Mike! But I am waiting for Eagle Images!!😊
I may have a few more eagles coming soon, Reed, though today’s snow/ice storm will probably keep me indoors today.
Nice shot, Mike. I love seeing these pretty birds when they occasionally visit my feeders here.
Carol
Thanks, Carol. It must be fascinating to see which birds show up at your feeders.
Oh, how I love Towhees! Great capture, Mike! I’d say this was a fine Christmas present. 🎄
Blue Rock Horses Frederick County, Virginia bluerockhorses.com
Thanks, Mitzy. An early Christmas indeed. 🙂
Wonderful to see this dapper towhee, Mike. Your eastern towhees are similar to our spotted towhee in the west, but the tail feathers and some markings are a little different. Great photo.
It is always interesting to see which birds we have in common. Some species are the same, others are similar, and a number of them are found only in the east or only in the west.
The Towhee blends in with the leaves so much that unless they move I might miss them here.
Most of the time, Molly, I depend on movement to detect the presence of birds. If they stay still, it’s hard for me to find them.
Nice capture, Mike. We seldom see towhees here, but in Maine there were lots of them, always rustling in the underbrush.
Thanks, Eliza. Since you have seen them, I think you can appreciate how challenging it was to get a clear shot of one.
Always hidden!
We sometimes hear their distinctive “Drink your tea!” call when we are hiking in Seneca Creek State Park, but we rarely catch a glimpse of them. Nice shot!