Dickcissel
Spiza americana
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyCardinalidae (Cardinals and Allies)
- GenusSpiza (Dickcissels)
- SpeciesSpiza americana (Dickcissel)
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 →
Recent sightings of Dickcissel in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve
Summer Tanager
Piranga rubra
Blue Bunting
Cyanocompsa parellina
Rose-throated Tanager
Piranga roseogularis
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
Red-crowned Ant-Tanager
Habia rubica
Indigo Bunting
Passerina cyanea
Gray-throated Chat
Granatellus sallaei
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Pheucticus ludovicianus
Blue Grosbeak
Passerina caerulea
Scarlet Tanager
Piranga olivacea
Painted Bunting
Passerina ciris
Great-tailed Grackle
Quiscalus mexicanus
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Dickcissel in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Dickcissel sighting in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Dickcissel in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve?
October has the highest sighting rate for Dickcissel in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve in our monthly data.