We had caught of glimpse of Eastern Towhee's foraging through the snow and leaves a few days ago, but they were too far back in the brush to get a photo. But yesterday, as we stood in the overlook parking lot with other birds, scanning for raptors and enjoying the unseasonably warm weather, we were distracted to the forest floor by a frenzy of low flying leaves. Moving to get a closer look we found a mixed flock of Towhee, White-throated, Fox and Song Sparrows. Our little group enjoyed the foraging show for about 20 minutes before the flock moved on. It was a great sight.

The Towhee is part of the New World Sparrow family. A ground feeder, If you look at their talons, you can see the specialized elongation of their toes. They are one of my favorite birds and a big reason that I got into the passion of birding.

Name: Eastern Towhee
Scientific Name: Pipilo erythrophthalmus
Status: Least Concern
Sound: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Towhee/sounds

Learn more:
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Towhee/id
https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/eastern-towhee