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Dickcissel

Spiza americana

Least Concern (IUCN Red List)Cardinals and Allies
Dickcissel, photographed by brian stahls

Photo: brian stahls · iNaturalist · CC-BY-NC 4.0 (licence)

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Call and song

About the Dickcissel

Sparrowlike bird known for gathering in enormous wintering flocks in South America. Males are striking with yellow breast, black patch on throat, and rufous shoulders. Females duller but usually show faint ghost of male's yellow pattern and rufous shoulders. Breeds in grasslands. Feeds on seeds and insects. Wanders during migration and is sometimes found out-of-place among flocks of House Sparrows. Call is a flatulent, buzzy "fpppt," often given in flight.

Species account: eBird.org, fetched 2025-12-26 · How these pages are made

Where it has been recorded

Recorded in 32 of the 253 countries we have eBird lists for. Each opens that country's checklist.

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