Sparrows are small to medium-sized, ranging in length from LeConte’s sparrow (Ammodramus leconteii), as small as 11 cm, to the rufous-sided towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus), up to 22 cm. Generally, sparrows have dull plumage with distinctive head markings; the exceptions are the brightly colored towhees and the sharply patterned juncos and longspurs. Males and females of most species are similar in size and plumage; eg, male and female song sparrows (Melospiza melodia), widespread in Canada, are virtually indistinguishable by plumage alone.