any of several North American birds in the family Emberizidae, order Passeriformes (passeriform), that are long-tailed skulkers in thickets, where they are rarely seen but are often heard noisily scratching for food on the ground. Their name is from the call of the eastern, or rufous-sided, towhee (chewink) (Pipilo erythrophthalmus), which is known as the chewink in the southeastern United States; it ranges from Canada to Central America. It is about 20 cm (8 inches) long, with a dark hood, white-cornered tail, and rusty flanks; western subspecies have white-spotted wings. A plain-looking towhee of the western United States is the canyon, or brown, towhee (P. fuscus). The green-tailed towhee (P. chlorurus), also western, is gray, white, and greenish, with a red-brown cap.