California Towhee - Pipilo crissalis

Of the 6 Towhee species seen in the U.S. our California Towhee, Piplo cirssalis, is arguably the plainest, but those of us who have it in our backyards enjoy its confiding presence and cheerful if sometimes monotonous loud "pinks". This one was next to the parking lot of the Las Gallinas Ponds. The Cal Towhee is a near endemic species, barely ranging to Oregon and south to Baja.

The side view didn't quite get all of the long tail, mostly because the bird was too close. It was eating the seeds of weedy grass, as seen a closer photo, which shows some of the features that we often miss when viewing with binoculars. 

The last photo, below is simply a crop from the above, to zoom in a bit on the pretty eye and throat. The streaks of the throat are maybe not as prominent as those seen in the Canyon and Abert's Towhee.