pipilo

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A genus of American fringilline birds, of comparatively large size, with short rounded wings, long rounded tail, and large strong feet; the towhee-buntings. The species are numerous, and found everywhere in the United States and adjoining parts of British America, in Mexico, Central America, and parts of South America. They inhabit shrubbery, and keep much on the ground. The common towhee, chewink, or marsh-robin is P. erythrophthalmus, about 8 inches long, the male boldly colored with black, white, and chestnut, and with red eyes. The female is plain brown and white. Similar species or varieties inhabit all the western parts of the United States. In the southwest, and thence into Mexico, is another set of species, of plain grayish coloration in both sexes, as the brown towhee, P. fuscus, or Abert's towhee, P. aberti. Some greenish forms also occur, as Blanding's finch, P. chlorurus.
2. n. [I. c] A species of this genus.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. towhees.