Dickcissel

Overview

Dickcissel: Medium-sized, stocky, sparrow-like bird. The Male (shown in background) has a dark gray back and head, and black-streaked shoulders. Face is gray with yellow eyestripe and breast is yellow. V-shaped bib is black. Wings are brown with chestnut-brown patches. The female (shown in foreground) and winter adult have brown streaked upperparts and no black bib. The juvenile is brown and streaked. Feeds on grains, seeds and insects. Alternates rapid wing beats with wings pulled to sides.

Range and Habitat

Dickcissel: Breeds from eastern Montana and the Great Lakes region south to Texas and the Gulf coast, locally farther east. Spends winters mainly in the tropics. Preferred habitats include open country in grain or hay fields and in weed patches.

INTERESTING FACTS

Migratory flocks of Dickcissels assemble into larger and larger flocks gradually growing into thousands of birds. Winter roosts can number in the millions of birds.
The male does little other than feed himself and try to attract a mate. The female builds the nest, incubates and feeds the young.

The Dickcissel has a large range, estimated globally at 3,500,000 square kilometers. It is native to the nations of North, Central, and South America and prefers savanna and grassland ecosystems, though it has been known to reside in areas or arable or pasture land. The global population of this bird is 22,000,000 individuals and despite threats from crop dusters and agricultural chemicals, it does not appear to meet population decline criteria that would necessitate inclusion on the IUCN Red List. The current evaluation status of the Dickcissel is Least Concern.