Photo: Francesco Veronesi from Italy / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Collared Towhee
Pipilo ocai
Collared Towhee (Pipilo ocai) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Collared Towhee (Pipilo ocai) is a member of the Passerellidae family found in Central America & Caribbean. Adults weigh 61 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Passerellidae New World Sparrows
- Genus Pipilo
- Species ocai
Quick facts
- Weight
- 61 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Passerellidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Collared Towhee is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it uses a wide range of foraging strategies.
Migration
The Collared Towhee is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Collared Towhee (Pipilo ocai) is a member of the Passerellidae family, within the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Central America & Caribbean. Its distribution covers MA Mexico.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 61 g, with a wing length of about 8.5 cm and a tail of around 9.8 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 114,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Collared Towhee?
The Collared Towhee is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 61 g.
Where does the Collared Towhee live?
The Collared Towhee is found across Central America & Caribbean with a range covering MA Mexico, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Collared Towhee belong to?
The Collared Towhee (Pipilo ocai) belongs to the Passerellidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Collared Towhee eat?
The Collared Towhee is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Collared Towhee migrate?
The Collared Towhee is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Collared Towhee endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Collared Towhee make?
1 real field recording of the Collared Towhee — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Collared Towhee's range?
The Collared Towhee has a mapped global range of about 114,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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