You're correct, Rick. _Pipilo erythrophthalmus_ was split into _P.
erythrophthalmus_
the EASTERN TOWHEE, and _P. maculatus_ the SPOTTED TOWHEE. This from the
Fortieth Supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Checklist of
North American Birds, The Auk 112(3):819-830, 1995 (pp. 825-826).
Dan

----------
> From: Rick Hudson <rhhudson at u.washington.edu>
> To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
> Subject: Re: Birding at home with a cold (Rufous-sided !!!!)
> Date: Tuesday, April 08, 1997 5:51 PM
>
> Isn't the eastern form of the rufous-sided towhee now called EASTERN
> TOWHEE? Maybe I'm misremembering the changes...
>
> > ... Our Western form is now called the
> > Spotted towhee (sorry, don't have birdbook with scientific name noted
in
> > my office). The Rufous-sided towhee is the eastern USA species, and
> > overlap of two species is not well documented in the midwest. The
songs
> > are really quite different and the spots on our species distinctive.
>
> Rick
>
> Rick H. Hudson Seattle, WA rhhudson at u.washington.edu
>
>