Collared Towhee vs Green-tailed Towhee

Collared Towhee

Pipilo ocai

Medium61 gForest

The collared towhee is 19.5 to 23 cm (7.7 to 9.1 in) long. It is the heaviest member of its family though some other towhees are longer; males weigh 61 to 68 g (2.2 to 2.4 oz) and females 54.5 to 62.5 g (1.9 to 2.2 oz). Its wing chord is 7.9 to 9.2 cm (3.1 to 3.6 in), its relatively short tail is 8.9 to 10.6 cm (3.5 to 4.2 in), the bill is 1.5 to 1.8 cm (0.59 to 0.71 in), and the tarsus is 2.8 to 3.4 cm (1.1 to 1.3 in). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies P. o. Voice: The collared towhee's song is variable; examples are "clee-o-weet-ship-trrr", "wheer-tseet-tseet-trrr, treee-chit-chit-chit", and "chree-tsit-tsit-trrr". It makes zhree and jor-ee calls.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: datadan · CC BY 4.0

Green-tailed Towhee

Pipilo chlorurus

Small29 gShrubland

The green-tailed towhee is about 18 cm (7.1 in) long and weighs on average about 29 g (1.0 oz). Though the sexes have essentially the same plumage, females tend to be slightly duller than males. Adults have a reddish brown crown, a white spot above the lores, and a white "moustache" and throat on an otherwise gray head. Their hindneck, back, and scapulars are yellowish olive with grayish olive edges on the feathers. Their rump and uppertail coverts are grayish olive. Their tail is mostly greenish to yellow-green with olive brown edges on most feathers. Voice: One description of the green-tailed towhee's song is a "very high varied tjip drip threeeeh witwitwit- ending in a fast rattle". Another calls it a "series of clear, whistled notes, preceded by a rather drawn-out weet-chur and ending with a raspy trill". The species also makes a "catlike ascending meeoow.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Kat B · CC BY 4.0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Collared Towhee and Green-tailed Towhee.