The Dickcissel (Spiza americana) is classed as a rare fall visitor and casual in spring and summer in New Brunswick. Our first record came from Machias Seal Island in 1951. Presently, it is seen every year mainly in the autumn.
The Dickcissel is classed in the Cardinalidae family although its classification has been in doubt for many years. In the past it has been placed in such families as the New World sparrows or with the orioles and blackbirds. It is the only member of the Spiza genus. It is a seed-eating migratory bird a bit larger than the sparrows. It prefers grasslands and weedy areas where it feeds on insects and seeds. The breeding range of this species is on the grasslands of the midwestern US and it winters in Central America, northern Colombia and Northern Venezuela.
Looking much like the sparrows it often flocks with, it is a bit larger, 14-16 cm long. On first glimpse it appears as a bit larger, chunkier sparrow. The species is monotypic (males and females look much the same). The young are brownish and streaked. The species has a large, pale bill, a yellow line over the eyes, brownish upper parts, a finely streaked back, dark wings, a rust patch on the shoulder and light underparts. In breeding plumage adult males have a black bib and a very yellow breast, gray cheek patch and crown. Juveniles and females are brown on the cheeks and crown. The males like to sit on conspicuous perches to sing their characteristic dick-dick-dick-siss-siss song. The syllables vary on this song but if you listen you can tell that the bird is saying its own name.
Although this species is distinctive, it could be mistaken for a Meadowlark which also has yellow and a black 'V' on the breast. It, however, has a very fine bill and could be easily identified with a careful look. The black bib of the Dickcissel is more evident in the breeding plumage which we don't see here very often. All the photos in this post were taken in October so we are seeing the non-breeding plumage.
The Dickcissel is an erratic wanderer. They can show up almost anywhere in central and eastern North America. On October 27 I saw 3 individuals in a heavy weeded gravelly area in Fredericton North. They were with a large flock of sparrows which included Song, White-throated, Lincoln, Swamp and Savannah Sparrows. Another birder saw and photographed a Clay-colored Sparrow near there the same day. I noticed that the Dickcissels, when aware of my presence, preferred to perch in taller shrubs, mostly willows, which had bright yellow leaves, thus concealing their location. Smart birds! Other Dickcissels have been reported around the province this autumn and often in 2s or 3s. An interesting fact about this species is that it gathers into large flocks in preparation for migration. These flocks keep growing to the point where they number in the millions of individuals on the wintering grounds. That must be quite a sight!
Dickcissels arrive late on their breeding grounds. They nest near the ground in thick grass or shrubs. Males are polygynous, usually having more than one mate, 2 or 3 but as many as 6! The nest is built by the female, is cup-shaped and made of weeds, grass and leaves and lined with fine grasses, rootlets and hair. Four pale blue eggs are laid and incubated by the female for 12 to 13 days. The nestlings are fed and cared for by the female only. Young fledge at about 7 to 10 days of age before they are able to fly.
The Dickcissel was first described in 1789 by a German naturalist, Johann Friedrich Gmelin where he called it a Black-throated Bunting. In 1824 it was given the Spiza generic name by Charles Lucien Bonaparte. Although it does not resemble the other members of the Cardinalidae family, its stout bill is why it is placed there.
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