Melozone fusca
Silhouette: Edwin Price · PhyloPic
In 3 days >90%
The canyon towhee (Melozone fusca) is a bird of the family Passerellidae. Until 1989, the canyon towhee and the California towhee were considered to be a single species which was called the brown towhee. The taxonomy of the group of towhees to which this species belongs is debated. At the higher level, some authors place the towhees in the family Fringillidae. Within the genus, there has been dispute about whether the canyon towhee is a distinct species from the California towhee (Melozone crissalis) found in coastal regions from Oregon and California in the United States through Baja California in Mexico. At present, molecular genetics seems to have settled this issue in favour of separation of the species.
It is 19 to 25 cm (7.5 to 9.8 in) long, and has a noticeably long tail, at 8.2 to 11 cm (3.2 to 4.3 in). This species weighs from 36.5 to 67 g (1+1⁄4 to 2+1⁄4 oz), though on average weigh only around 45 g (1+1⁄2 oz). Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 8.2 to 10.1 cm (3.2 to 4.0 in), the bill is 1.4 to 1.7 cm (0.55 to 0.67 in) and the tarsus is 2.3 to 2.7 cm (0.91 to 1.06 in). It is earthy brown in color, with somewhat lighter underparts... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guadalupe Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 4 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 6 | Grand Canyon National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toluca | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 2 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 3 | Puebla | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 4 | León | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 5 | Guadalajara | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 6 | San Luis Potosí | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 7 | Phoenix | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum | 🇺🇸 United States |
Very likely
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a Canyon Towhee sighting in Toluca on a given day, based on 167 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 2nd most-seen of the 118 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March–April and September
In those months about 90% of wildlife watchers report a Canyon Towhee in Toluca on a given day, against about 50% in August, the lowest month.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Canyon Towhee sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 7 cities where we can rate Canyon Towhee sightings, Toluca has the highest daily chance: about 80%. Next come Mexico City (México, about 60%) and Puebla (México, about 60%).
Same family: Passerellidae
The closest relatives of the Canyon Towhee that you can see in Toluca (family Passerellidae, New World Sparrows) are Song Sparrow (about 70%), Striped Sparrow (about 50%) and Chipping Sparrow (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Canyon Towhee is recorded against all the birds logged in Toluca (167 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
