Berkeley, California, USA
June 2014
Member of the American Sparrow Family
§A Teapot of Towhees§
~true bird fact~ Spotted Towhees were once considered to be the same bird as their close relative, the Eastern Towhee. They look pretty much exactly the same, except that the Spotted Towhee has those white spots on his shoulders and back. It is theorized that this is an evolutionary development to better camouflage the Spotted Towhee, as he forages in an overall sunnier climate. The white spots make him blend in with the sun-dappled leaf litter. This whole pattern of two almost identical bird species existing on the East and West coast is a holdover from the Ice Age, when the continent was divided rather impenetrably by great ice sheets. Like this, bird species that used to be one were divided for long enough that they turned into two.
A loose cannon. You never know what he might do
Talkative. A hit at dinner parties
Bad with responsibility. Won't remember the groceries, eg.
Irrationally well liked by his friends
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