The Lonesome Whip-poor-will

Most of the year, Spotted Towhees‘ lives keep them well-hidden. They lurk in thickets, scratching the ground beneath tangles of branches and leaves. Despite the red of their eyes and the red of their sides, their black-and-white spotting enables them to disappear into the shadows those branches and leaves cast.

But in spring, male towhees become conspicuous. They sing boldly from exposed perches, communicating to other towhees.

And so it was with this one, who sang along the High Line Canal Trail outside Denver. He endured passing runners, walkers, and a gawking birder.