California Towhee
Melozone crissalis
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyPasserellidae (New World Sparrows)
- GenusMelozone (Ground-Sparrows and Brown Towhees)
- SpeciesMelozone crissalis (California Towhee)
The California towhee (Melozone crissalis) is a bird of the family Passerellidae, native to the coastal regions of western Oregon and California in the United States and Baja California and Baja California Sur in Mexico. The taxonomy of this species has been debated. At the higher level, some authors place the towhees in the family Fringillidae. Within the group, there has been debate about whether the distinction between this species and the similar canyon towhee (Melozone fuscus) should be at the specific or subspecific level. The two species used to be grouped together as the brown towhee, yet today they are identified separately, especially because of their differing feather coloration, and the canyon towhee's dark central breast spot. The two populations are quite isolated from each other, and molecular genetics seems to have settled the matter in favor of two distinct species for the present. Wikipedia →
20–30% of wildlife watchers report a California Towhee sighting in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, based on 810 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
Spotted Towhee
Pipilo maculatus
Fox Sparrow
Passerella iliaca
White-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrys
Song Sparrow
Melospiza melodia
Rufous-crowned Sparrow
Aimophila ruficeps
Green-tailed Towhee
Pipilo chlorurus
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia atricapilla
Lincoln's Sparrow
Melospiza lincolnii
Large-billed Fox Sparrow
Passerella megarhyncha
Chipping Sparrow
Spizella passerina
Lark Sparrow
Chondestes grammacus
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Bahía de Loreto National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 7 | El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a California Towhee in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks?
About 27% of wildlife watchers report a California Towhee sighting in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, based on 810 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see California Towhee in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks?
January has the highest sighting rate for California Towhee in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in our monthly data.