Canyon Towhee Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesCanyon Towhee
Adult
Large sparrow with thick bill and long tail. Brownish overall with buffy eyering and warm rufous patch under the tail. Throat is lighter buffy brown; crown usually warm brown.
© Jeffrey Moore / Macaulay LibraryArizona, February 07, 2008Adult
Large sparrow with long tail. Grayish brown with warm rufous patch under tail.
© Etienne Artigau🦩 / Macaulay LibraryArizona, April 27, 2017Adult
Large sparrow usually seen on or near the ground. Often has a dark spot in the center of the breast. Warm reddish brown crown and undertail.
© Tim Lenz / Macaulay LibraryGuanajuato, June 15, 2017Adult
Large sparrow with long tail, often found on the ground in arid areas. Whitish belly with dark spot in center of breast.
© Ben Lagasse / Macaulay LibraryColorado, November 13, 2016Adult
Found on or near the ground in desert habitats including arroyos, mesquite thickets, desert grasslands, pinyon-juniper-oak woodland, and pine-oak.
© David Lerwill / Macaulay LibraryNew Mexico, October 08, 2016Similar SpeciesCalifornia Towhee
Adult
California Towhees are more rusty brown on the face rather than buffy like Canyon Towhees. California also lacks Canyon's dark central breast spot. The two species ranges have very little overlap.
© Matt Davis / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, March 27, 2017Similar SpeciesAbert's Towhee
Adult
Abert's Towhees have a pale bill that contrasts with its dark face, unlike Canyon Towhee's buffy face. Abert's Towhees live mainly in brushy woodland along streams rather than desert scrub like Canyon Towhees.
© Paul Suchanek / Macaulay LibraryArizona, December 30, 2015Similar SpeciesRufous-crowned Sparrow
Adult
Rufous-crowned Sparrows are more strongly patterned than Canyon Towhees, with a bright rufous cap and line through the eye.
© Doug Hitchcox / Macaulay LibraryArizona, January 23, 2017Rotate Your Device to Better Compare
Compare with Similar Species
Click on an image to compare
Species in This Family
New World Sparrows(Order: Passeriformes, Family: Passerellidae)
Don't miss a thing! Join our email list
The Cornell Lab will send you updates about birds,
birding, and opportunities to help bird conservation.