When do spotted towhees arrive in Texas?
The Spotted Towhee is a winter visitor in Texas — here is when to expect it, when it leaves, and how to be ready.
Spotted Towhee timing in Texas
- Arrives
- Around November
- Leaves
- By February
- Status here
- Winter visitor
- Present roughly
- November–February
In Texas, spotted towhees are a cold-season bird, arriving around November and heading back north to breed by February.
These windows are set by latitude: Texas sits in the middle part of this species' range, so timing here tracks the continental average closely. In any given year, weather can move the first arrivals by a week or two either way.
Month by month in this state
Highlighted months are when spotted towhees are expected in Texas. The edges of the window are the interesting weeks — first arrivals and last departures vary most from year to year.
Getting ready before they arrive
The week before November is the time to act. Have feeders cleaned, filled and out by early November — the first spotted towhees into Texas are scouting for reliable food, and a station that's ready early gets added to their route.
Through the winter, consistent food matters more than variety — birds map dependable stations into their daily routes and rely on them hardest during cold snaps.
What spotted towhees eat while they're here
- Seeds and acorns
Scratches noisily under shrubs — leaf litter is prime habitat.
Full Spotted Towhee diet guide → · Best feeder for spotted towhees →
Native plants that hold spotted towhees in Texas
Food keeps a migrant for a day; habitat keeps it for the season. These Texas-native plants are known to attract spotted towhees:
Evergreen cover plus red winter berries on female plants.
Clusters of purple fruit from late summer into fall.
Native tubular red flowers; not the invasive Japanese honeysuckle.
Leave seed heads standing through fall and winter.
Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.
Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter.
Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.
Red fruit heads hang on through winter.
Keep exploring
Frequently asked
When do spotted towhees arrive in Texas?
spotted towhees typically arrive in Texas around November. Timing can shift a week or two with the weather in any given year.
When do spotted towhees leave Texas?
Most spotted towhees have left Texas by February. They spend the breeding season farther north and return in the fall.
Do spotted towhees stay in Texas all year?
No — in Texas the Spotted Towhee is a winter visitor, present roughly November–February. Outside that window it is rarely seen in the state.
What should I put out before spotted towhees arrive in Texas?
Have feeders up and clean by early November — first arrivals scout reliable food sources. Good offerings for this species: beetles and caterpillars.
Sources
- Spotted Towhee — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Spotted Towhee life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Spotted Towhee — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Texas
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023)
- Audubon Native Plants Database
- Texas Breeding Bird Atlas — Texas A&M
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.