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prettygoodwordtowhee (TOH-hee, TOH-ee) n., any of about eight species of North American songbirds (genera Pipilo and Melozone) of the New World sparrow family.
So related to the juncos. The name comes from the one species of eastern North America -- it is imitative of the call of the eastern towhee (P. erythrophthalmus). The rest of the towhees mostly live in western North America. The one I'm most familiar with is the spotted towhee (Pipilo maculatus, which until recently was lumped together with the eastern towhee under the name rufous-side towhee):
Thanks, WikiMedia!
The "about eight" is because again ornithologists are still debating exactly how many species there are and how they are related.
---L.
So related to the juncos. The name comes from the one species of eastern North America -- it is imitative of the call of the eastern towhee (P. erythrophthalmus). The rest of the towhees mostly live in western North America. The one I'm most familiar with is the spotted towhee (Pipilo maculatus, which until recently was lumped together with the eastern towhee under the name rufous-side towhee):
Thanks, WikiMedia!
The "about eight" is because again ornithologists are still debating exactly how many species there are and how they are related.
---L.
