Dickcissel

The Dickcissel, Spiza americana, is a small American seed-eating bird in the family Cardinalidae. It is the only member of the genus Spiza, though some sources list another supposedly extinct species . In older works, it is often placed with the American sparrows in the Emberizidae; females especially resemble American sparrows in plumage.

The Dickcissel is classified as Least Concern. Does not qualify for a more at risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.

Dickcissel, or Blackthroated Bunting, a migratory bird found in the central United States, particularly in Illinois and Iowa. By eating crop-destroying insects during the nesting season, dickcissels save farmers millions of dollars. The male is 7 inches (18 cm) long, has an 11-inch (28-cm) wingspread, and has a yellow breast marked with a black bib. The female is smaller and has a white stripe over each eye. Twice a year the female lays three to five greenish-blue eggs. The dickcissel is named for its call, dick-dick-dick-cissel. More

Named for the distinctive, incessant song of males, Dickcissel is a characteristic bird of the farmlands of the Great Plains. The exact location of this bird's breeding efforts can be very erratic from year to year, as it appears to wander somewhat in response to rainfall and habitat conditions. During the winter, Dickcissels gather in huge flocks on the llanos of Venezuela, where they feed on rice and sorghum. More

The Dickcissel, Spiza americana, is a small American seed-eating bird in the family Cardinalidae. It is the only member of the genus Spiza, though some sources list another supposedly extinct species (see below). In older works, it is often placed with the American sparrows in the Emberizidae; females especially resemble American sparrows in plumage. More

Dickcissels at Sherwood underclearskies wrote 7 months ago: Dickcissel - Mike Ferrari OK, so here are the Dickcissels from Sherwood Island today. From looking a … more → Tags: sunrise birding, rare birds Dickcissel rmaum wrote 11 months ago: Here’s a fairly common bird that can be found in grassy areas in and around open fields. More

Most dickcissels winter in northern South America, but some stray to the Atlantic coast.Fort Riley's prairie partnership by Hynek, Alan / Endangered Species UpdateMost dickcissels winter in northern South America, but some stray to the Atlantic coast. More

Description: A quick glance at a dickcissel reminds one of a miniature meadowlark because of the black bib (not on female) and yellow breast. But the dickcissel is not as chunky, the tail not as broad and without the white outer tail feathers, and the bill much shorter than that of the meadowlark. The bird is short and stocky and about the size of a sparrow with a thick, finch-like bill. The dickcissel also has a chestnut shoulder patch and yellowish eyebrow through a mostly gray head. More

Dickcissel night migration calls that were detected by the acoustic monitoring station at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge (LAA on map below) in spring 2005. The acoustic monitoring station at Laguna Atascosa operated every night from April 15 through May 10 in 2005 from 8PM to 5AM. More

The dickcissel, a bird, Spiza americana, of the finch family, Fringillidae Updated On: 10/10/2007Print * * * * * - The Dickcissel, Spiza americana, is a small seed-eating bird in the family Cardinalidae. It possibly is the only member of the genus Spiza (Bonaparte, 1824). More

the Dickcissel congregates in huge flocks in migration and on its tropical grassland wintering grounds. The breeding male is colored like a tiny meadowlark, with a black "V" on a yellow chest. More

Dickcissel (Spiza americana) (credit: Thase Daniel)American passerine (Spiza americana, family Fringillidae) bird that eats seeds and breeds in weedy fields of the central U.S. Most dickcissels winter in northern South America, but some stray to the Atlantic coast. The male, for whose song the species is named, is a streaky brown bird 6.5 in. (16 cm) long, with a black bib on its yellow breast, resembling a miniature meadowlark. For more information on dickcissel, visit Britannica.com. More

The Dickcissel, on the other hand, makes two or three dry chirps followed by a trilled yerp-yerp-yerp. If you can sit and listen, he will sing all day long. In fact, the male dickcissel does little other than feed himself and try to attract a mate. The female is totally responsible for building the nest, incubation and feeding the young. Dickcissels typically make a woven grass cup type of nest in short woody vegetation or on the ground. More

Dickcissel near Sandford, Durham Region We refound this male Dickcissel at 9:00 a.m. on Monday 3 July 2006 on 4th Concession Road north of Sandford near Uxbridge in Durham Region. Scroll down for four photos including a habitat shot. This bird was singing constantly and frequently went into a field of Timothy grass on the east side, see below. It behaved like an unmated male. More

The Dickcissel is an enigmatic grassland bird, whose status and distribution have always been confounded by its pattern of irregular movements. This species is believed to have originally occupied the tall grass and mixed prairies of the eastern and central Great Plains. Historical changes in its breeding range have been associated with large-scale changes in agricultural land use practices (Hurley and Franks 1976). Deforestation allowed this species to spread eastward during the nineteenth century (Peterjohn and Rice 1991). More

Dickcissels and other grassland birds thrive at Nachusa Grasslands in Illinois thanks in no small part to the efforts of the voulnteer stewards who work tirelessly to restore the prairie. Dickcissel The dickcissel is named for its call, which sounds like More

dickcisselThe dickcissel is 6-7 inches in length. It has a short tail and a heave, cone-shaped bill. The male has a gray head, back, and belly and brown shoulders. He has a bright yellow breast with a black bib and yellow "eyebrows." The female is brown on her undersides and does not have a black bib or yellow breast or "eyebrows. More

Dickcissel is an abundant grassland species that breeds in the plains of the central United States and winters in high concentrations in Venezuela. Populations declined dramatically prior to 1980, but now appear more stable. The species has been killed in large numbers on its wintering grounds, where it is an agricultural pest, and is also challenged by changing land uses and nest parasitism. It reaches the western limit of its distribution in eastern New Mexico. More

dickcissel was declining significantly across the continent. Nebraska was one of 11 midwestern and eastern states recording significant statewide decreases in abundance. Platte River Status: A regular migrant and nesting species. Occurrence dates at the Mormon Island Crane Meadows, Hall County, are 16 May to 9 October. Tout (1947) considered the dickcissel a common nesting species in Lincoln County, present during 15 May to 11 September. More

Although still a rarity, Dickcissel sightings have been on the increase. Another photo of this bird can be found on Dustin Welch's 'Flickr' site. More

At one time, dickcissels were more numerous than almost any other bird, but their numbers went through a sharp decline during the homesteading years, and while populations have stabilized, they have not recovered. As their numbers declined, so did their range; dickcissels have all but abandoned the east coast where they were one regular visitors. Dickcissels, or "dickie-birds" the southeast Kansas prairie of Little House on the Prairie, are feathered in browns, blacks, yellows, and white. More

Dickcissel - Spiza americanaDickcissels are a vocal summer resident in the state, especially in the eastern part, where they can often be found singing their djjk-djjk-djjk-cissel song from fenceposts, wires, and plant tops. They seem to vary locally quite a bit from year to year, presumably in response to vegetation condition and other habitat parameters. Habitat: Nests in alfalfa and clover fields, as well as native meadows and grasslands. Diet: Primarily insects in the summer. More

The main breeding range of the Dickcissel is the midwestern United States from the Rocky Mountains to the Allegheny Mountains from the northern Great Plains to the Gulf Coast. The abundance of Dickcissels in any one area varies greatly from year to year, apparently influenced by the amount of rainfall and its effect on vegetation. Dickcissel Range Map The males return to the breeding grounds in late April or early May, about a week ahead of the females. More

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