Montana Field Guide

The Dickcissel is a sparrow-sized bird about 6 inches long with males about 10 to 20% larger than females (Temple 2002). Males have an overall grayish head with a striking yellow line above the eye (supercilium). The chin is white, bordered by yellow malor stripes with a black throat patch beneath. Males also have lateral throat stripes on either side of the black patch. The breast is bright yellow and the belly is white-gray. The back is streaked brownish and the tail and wings are blackish. The wings also have a significant brown or chestnut color at the shoulders (Temple 2002). Adult females have a less distinct head and facial pattern with no black throat patch, smaller, less obvious lateral throat stripes and a duller yellow breast. Also, the chestnut colored shoulder patches are much more pale compared to the adult male (Temple 2002). Immature Dickcissels are fairly similar in appearance to the adult female, but have a drabber plumage than the adult female (Temple 2002).

The song of the male Dickcissel is obvious when heard, as the bird appears to state its own name by singing "dick, dick, cissel" or "see, see, dick, dick, ciss, ciss, ciss" (National Geographic Society 1987, Temple 2002). The flight call, given by both sexes is often described as an electric buzz or buzzer-like "bzrrrt" or "fpppt."

The black throat patch, bright yellow breast and chestnut colored shoulder patches in combination distinguish the male Dickcissel. No other species in North America has this combination of characteristics (Temple 2002). The female and juvenile Dickcissel have similarities in size and coloration to the female House Sparrow (Passer domesticus). However, female and juvenile Dickcissels have lateral throat stripes, paler and longer bills, and streaked thighs, where the House Sparrow does not (Temple 2002). They are also slimmer in appearance than the House Sparrow.

Almost no information regarding Dickcissel migratory patterns exists for Montana. Dickcissels have only been observed in the state during June and July, and most of these observations are breeding and potential breeding. Montana Bird Distribution (2003) has only three transient/migratory observations, all occurring in June. All of these observations were west of known breeding or potential breeding areas for Dickcissel in the state, except one observation west of the Continental Divide in Missoula.

No specific habitat information for Montana is currently available, as systematic surveys for Dickcissels have not been done. Habitat information from other Dickcissel sources state that breeding habitat is grasslands, meadows, savanna, cultivated lands, and brushy fields (American Ornithologists Union 1998). They nest on the ground in grass or rank herbage, or raised a little above ground, in grass tufts or tall weeds, or in low shrubs or trees, up to about 2 meters above the ground but usually low (Harrison 1978). They prefer habitat with dense, moderate to tall vegetation (particularly with some forbs) and moderately deep litter. Suitable habitats are found in old fields, hayfields, fencerows, hedgerows, road rights-of-way, planted cover (e.g., Conservation Reserve Program [CRP] fields and dense nesting cover), and moderately grazed and idle prairie. A high abundance of forbs provides perches, nesting cover, nest support, and possibly increased invertebrate abundance.

Nests are elevated in grasses, forbs, shrubs, or trees, and less commonly on the ground in thick vegetation (Gross 1921, Overmire 1962, 1963, Meanley 1963, Zimmerman 1966, Blankespoor 1970, Fretwell 1977, Frawley 1989, Winter 1998). Nest heights range from 0 to 2 meters (Taber 1947, Ely 1957, Meanley 1963, Von Steen 1965, Gross 1968, Berry 1971, Roth 1980, Laubach 1984, Winter 1998). Hayland is used more frequently for nesting than cropland (Gross 1968, Faanes and Lingle 1995). Occasionally they will nest in strip cover such as roadside ditches, fencerows, and grassed waterways (Gross 1921, Meanley 1963, Basore et al. 1986, Bryan and Best 1991, 1994, Camp and Best 1994, Warner 1994). Nests in road rights-of-way or other edge habitats, however, can experience high rates of depredation (Basore et al. 1986, Camp and Best 1994).

The non-breeding habitat of Dickcissels consists mainly of a variety of open habitats, second growth, and scrub (American Ornithologists Union 1998). They are also often found in rice-growing regions in winter (Ehrlich et al. 1992). They prefer to roost in sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) fields, but if not available, they will utilize bamboo, cattail marshes, grasses, and shrubs (Basili and Temple 1999).

No food habit studies have been completed in the state. In general, Dickcissels eat weed seeds, grain, insects, and spiders. In winter they eat mainly grain and seeds, foraging on the ground (Terres 1980) or picking seeds off seedheads (Stiles and Skutch 1989). Young nestlings are fed insects.

No information specific to Montana is available. Information from other locations within the species' range states that the mean territory size on the breeding grounds in tallgrass prairies of Kansas ranged from 0.45 to 0.57 hectares, whereas the mean territory size in old fields ranged from 0.15 to 0.95 hectares (Zimmerman 1966, Schartz 1969, Petersen 1978, Finck 1983, 1984). The mean territory size in an Illinois old field ranged from 0.38 to 0.54 hectares (Harmeson 1972, 1974). The mean territory sizes in ungrazed and grazed tallgrass prairie in Oklahoma were 0.25 hectares and 0.47 hectares, respectively (Overmire 1963). Larger territory sizes of 1.4 hectares and 1.5 hectares were reported for tallgrass prairie in Iowa and tallgrass pasture in Oklahoma, respectively (Wiens 1971, Laubach 1984). In Kansas, males commonly returned to the same breeding area in successive years (Zimmerman and Finck 1989).

In winter, Dickcissels occur in small groups or concentrated in dense flocks of 100s or 1000s (Hilty and Brown 1986) or up to 3 million in agricultural areas of Venezuelan llanos (Basili and Temple 1999).

Little information exists regarding Dickcissel reproduction in Montana. Systematic surveys for this species have yet to be done in the state. However, information from other areas where Dickcissels occur indicates that clutch sizes are between 3 and 5 (usually 4). They typically produce two broods per year. Incubation by the female lasts 11 to 13 days. Young are tended by the female and leave the nest at 7 to 10 days. However, they are unable to fly until 11 to 12 days.

No known active management is ongoing for the Dickcissel in the state. Policies regarding Conservation Reserve Program lands may have a significant impact on the reproductive success of Dickcissels in Montana given their habitat preferences (see Habitat). Dickcissels are a Species of Management Concern in Region 6 (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1995).