Dickcissel

Dickcissel

Spiza americana

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Big Bend National Park
64 Verified sightings at Big Bend National Park From 2019 to 2026
1,884 Verified sightings across all 50 parks From 2019 to 2026
September Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Dickcissel

The dickcissel (Spiza americana) 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.

The dickcissel was formally described in 1789 by German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin under the binomial name Emberiza americana. Gmelin based his account on the "black-throated bunting" that the Welsh naturalist Thomas Pennant had described and illustrated in 1785 in his Arctic Zoology. The dickcissel is now the only species placed in the genus Spiza that was introduced in 1824 by French naturalist Charles Lucien Bonaparte. The genus name Spiza is the Ancient Greek word for a common type of finch, now assumed to be a chaffinch. The species is monotypic; no subspecies are recognised.

The dickcissel is part of a group of the Cardinalidae that also includes Amaurospiza, Cyanocompsa, Cyanoloxia, and Passerina. Spiza is the only one among these that lacks blue structural colors in its plumage. Though the color pattern and habits... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Big Bend National Park

Pyrrhuloxia
LC

Pyrrhuloxia

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cardinalis sinuatus

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
Northern Cardinal

Northern Cardinal

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cardinalis cardinalis

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
Summer Tanager
LC

Summer Tanager

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Piranga rubra

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Blue Grosbeak
LC

Blue Grosbeak

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Passerina caerulea

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Black-headed Grosbeak
LC

Black-headed Grosbeak

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pheucticus melanocephalus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Painted Bunting
LC

Painted Bunting

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Passerina ciris

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Western Tanager
LC

Western Tanager

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Piranga ludoviciana

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Varied Bunting
LC

Varied Bunting

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Passerina versicolor

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Hepatic Tanager
LC

Hepatic Tanager

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Piranga flava

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Lazuli Bunting
LC

Lazuli Bunting

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Passerina amoena

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Indigo Bunting
LC

Indigo Bunting

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Passerina cyanea

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
LC

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pheucticus ludovicianus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
2 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
3 Isla del Coco National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
4 Palo Verde National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
5 Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
6 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
7 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
8 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
9 Santa Rosa National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
10 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
11 Caroni Swamp 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago
<5%
12 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
13 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
14 Tikal National Park 🇬🇹 Guatemala
<5%
15 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
16 Sierra de la Macarena National Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
17 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
18 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
19 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
20 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
21 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
22 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
23 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
Insufficient data
24 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
25 Las Baulas Marine National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
26 Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
Insufficient data
27 Biotopo Cerro Cahuí 🇬🇹 Guatemala
Insufficient data
28 Cabo Pulmo National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
29 Cahuita National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
30 Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
31 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
32 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
33 Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary 🇧🇿 Belize
Insufficient data
34 Ostional Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
35 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
36 Gros Morne National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
37 Calakmul Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
38 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
39 Rincón de la Vieja National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
40 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
41 Tayrona National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
42 Cañón del Sumidero National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
43 Masaya Volcano National Park 🇳🇮 Nicaragua
Insufficient data
44 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
45 Congaree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
46 Ciénaga de Zapata 🇨🇺 Cuba
Insufficient data
47 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
48 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
49 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
50 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Dickcissel in Big Bend National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Dickcissel sighting in Big Bend National Park, based on 64 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Dickcissel in Big Bend National Park?

September has the highest sighting rate for Dickcissel in Big Bend National Park in our monthly data.

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