The dickcissel is a small seed-eating migratory bird in the family Cardinalidae. It breeds on the prairie grasslands of the Midwestern United States and winters in Central America, northern Colombia, and northern Venezuela. It is the only member of the genus Spiza, though some sources list another supposedly extinct species.
Region
North American Great Plains to northern South America
Typical Environment
Breeds across the prairie grasslands and agricultural fields of the central and Midwestern United States, with spillover into southern Canada. Prefers tallgrass to mixed-grass prairies, hayfields, pastures, and weedy field margins with scattered shrubs or fence lines for song perches. During migration it uses open fields, roadsides, and fallow lands. In winter it concentrates in savannas, llanos, and extensive grain and sorghum fields in Central America, northern Colombia, and northern Venezuela.
Altitude Range
0–2000 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Dickcissel is the sole living member of the genus Spiza and is famed for the male’s black V-shaped bib on a yellow chest. It breeds in North American prairies and stages impressive winter flocks in northern South America, where it sometimes forages in grain fields. Its name mimics the male’s sharp, buzzy song often rendered as “dick-dick-ciss-cissel.” Conservation is closely tied to grassland management and agricultural practices across its range.
Lithograph of "Townsend's Bunting"
Male in nonbreeding plumage - Maywood, Illinois
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with bounding flight
Social Behavior
Males sing conspicuously from elevated perches and may be polygynous on good territories. Nests are placed low in dense grasses or forbs, with females handling most nesting duties. Outside the breeding season, birds form large flocks that move widely in search of seeding fields.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
The male’s song is a sharp, metallic series of buzzy notes often transcribed as “dick-dick-ciss-cissel,” delivered repeatedly from exposed perches. Calls include dry chips and buzzes, especially in flight or within flocks.
Plumage
Male with gray head, bright yellow breast with a distinct black V-bib, and rich chestnut shoulders; back streaked brown. Female/immature are sparrow-like, brown and streaky with a pale supercilium and faint yellow wash on the breast, lacking the black bib. Both sexes have a thick, conical bill adapted for seed-cracking.
Diet
Primarily consumes grass and weed seeds, cracking them with its stout bill. In the breeding season it supplements heavily with insects such as grasshoppers, beetles, and leafhoppers, and nestlings are fed mostly animal protein. In winter it forages in grain fields, taking sorghum, rice, and other cultivated seeds.
Preferred Environment
Forages on the ground and low vegetation in prairies, hayfields, pastures, and weedy margins. In winter it concentrates in large, open agricultural landscapes and natural savannas.
