Dickcissel

Dickcissel, adult male, breeding: Riverside Co., CA

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Dickcissel, first-year male

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1. Description
2. Sound
3. Conservation Status
4. Other Names
5. Cool Facts
6. Full detailed species account

A sparrow-like bird of the prairie grasslands of the United States, 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.

Description

• Small songbird.
• Stout, pointed bill.
• Rusty patch on shoulders.
• Yellow or yellowish on chest.
• Breeding male has large black "V" on yellow chest.

• Size: 14-16 cm (6-6 in)
• Wingspan: 25 cm (10 in)
• Weight: 23-29 g (0.81-1.02 ounces)

Sex Differences

Male with black "V" on yellow throat and chest. Female smaller, duller, and without black patch.

Sound

Song a simple, dry, "dick, dick, ciss, ciss, ciss." Call a dry "chek." Flight call a short, buzzy "fpppt," like a Bronx cheer.

Conservation Status

Dickcissel populations declined drastically from 1966 to 1978, but then stablized at a lower level. May be declining again in some areas. Considered an agricultural pest on the wintering grounds.

Other Names

Dickcissel (French)
Arrocero americano (Spanish)

Cool Facts

• In preparation for fall migration, Dickcissels begin assembling in larger and larger flocks that gradually coalesce into flocks of thousands. Winter roosts can number into the millions of birds.
• The Dickcissel makes irregular movements outside of its core breeding range to breed in surrounding areas where extensive grassland can be found. Such movements can make for dramatic changes in abundance from year to year. Abundance on much of the wintering ground also varies markedly from year to year.

• Nearly all Dickcissels winter far south of their breeding range, but each year small numbers can be found scattered within the breeding range throughout the winter. Individual Dickcissels frequently turn up far from the normal range, often joining in with House Sparrow flocks.

Sources used to construct this page:

Temple, S. A. 2002. Dickcissel (Spiza americana). In The Birds of North America, No. 703 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.