Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Dickcissel

Dickcissel
The dickcissel is a small songbird that breeds in the open fields and grasslands in the central portions of the United States from the Dakotas to Texas in the west and Ohio to Alabama in the east. Like many passerines the male dickcissel is much more brightly colored then the female. Immature males look more like the females and usually do not breed until they get their adult plumage.
Dickcissel
Dickcissels eat seeds and insects and so most migrate into Central America and northern South America during the winter. In the fall individuals join together into large flocks in staging areas around the US. As the migrating birds begin to move south the flocks join together into larger flocks. On their wintering grounds it is not unusual to find flocks of millions of birds wintering together. Not all dickcissel migrate though. Small numbers typically stay in southern portions of the breeding range where some food is still available. Dickcissel do breed in parts of Minnesota primarily the southern and western portions of the state where the habitat is more open and flat.



12 comments:

Esther Joy said...

I wasn't familiar with this little bird. Great shots!

Elizabeth Edwards said...

love all the yellow. so nice to meet you through the bird link up "Wild Bird Wednesday" ( :

Susan Moore said...

I'm pretty certain I have these birds around Austin, TX. They're cute. Beautiful photos!

Karen said...

A new one for me, and both are very handsome!

Kate said...


Did you photograph those beautiful birds locally?

Roger Owen Green said...

Nice-looking bird.
ROG, ABC Wednesday

Andrea @ From The Sol said...

I have seen one Dickcissel in my lifetime. We found him because someone heard his song at the edge of an open field. They are so small that it was hard to spot him in the prairie grasses, but we finally did. I did take a picture, but it didn't turn out well enough to use ... just well enough for me to digitally zoom and recognize it's featues. This is very informative Ecobirder ... thank you!

Andrea @ From The Sol

Ni de Aqui, Ni de Alla said...

Great pictures! Such a beautiful bird, but I've never seen a dickcissel in my life.

Anonymous said...

One I'd never heard of -- I'm sure I'd remember that name! Pretty little bird, reminds me a little of a grosbeak.

Janice said...

New one to me! Great shots.

Rambling Woods said...

Hello Paul..I haven't been here in a bit. I hope this New Year is being kind to you and your family, although this winter has been hard.. Michelle from Nature Notes...

Lady In Read said...

thank you ..great photo, and love the way you present the information about the birds too.