|
Dickcissel Spiza americana
Sabanero Americano,
|
 |
|
Non-breeding plumage male (below)
and female (above) - Photo: S. Bentsen |
|
Dickcissel Spiza americana
Sabanero Americano,
|
|
|
Non-breeding plumage male (below)
and female (above) - Photo: S. Bentsen |
|
A yellow and black breast and chestnut wing patch identify the male of this small finch. Length: 14-16 cm.; weight: 23-29 g. Audio (M. Oberle). The name reflects the song, which is only heard on the breeding grounds in central North America. Winters along the west coast of Central America and in northern South America. Breeding populations have declined, most likely because millions are killed by rice farmers on their winter grounds. Rare migrant in coastal areas and fields in Puerto Rico (e.g. Río Piedras, 26 Sept. 1972). TAXONOMY: PASSERIFORMES; CARDINALIDAE |
 |
|
Breeding plumage male - Photo: G. Beaton
|
 |
|
Female - Photo: S. Bentsen
|
 |
|
Female - Photo: S. Bentsen
|
 |
|
Non-breeding plumage male - Photo: G. Lasley
|
|
References Arendt, W.J. 1992. Status of North American migrant landbirds in the Caribbean region: a summary. Pp. 143-171 in Ecology and conservation of neotropical migrant landbirds (J.M. Hagan III and D.W. Johnston, eds.) Smithsonian Instit. Press, Washington, D.C. Bent, A.C. 1968. Life histories of North American cardinals, grosbeaks, buntings, towhees, finches, sparrows and allies, part 1. Smithsonian Instit. U.S. National Museum Bull. 237. (Reprinted by Dover Press, NY, 1968). Ehrlich, P.R., D.S. Dobkin, and D. Wheye. 1988. The birderÆs handbook: a field guide to the natural history of North American birds. Simon and Schuster/Fireside, NY. Peterjohn, B.G., J.R. Sauer, and W.A. Link. 1996. The 1994 and 1995 summary of the North American breeding bird survey. Bird Populations 3:48-66. Raffaele, H. A. 1981. New records of bird species for Puerto Rico and one for the West Indies. Am Birds 35:142-143. Raffaele, H.A. 1989. A guide to the birds of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Princeton. Raffaele, H.A. 1989. Una guía a las aves de Puerto Rico y las Islas Vírgenes. Publishing Resources, Inc., Santurce, PR. Raffaele, H.A., J.W. Wiley, O.H. Garrido, A.R. Keith, and J.I. Raffaele. 1998. Guide to the birds of the West Indies. Princeton. Temple, S. A. 2002. Dickcissel (Spiza americana). In The Birds of North America, No. 703 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA. Temple, S. A. and G. Basili. 1995. The Dickcissel: a neotropic migrant in trouble. El Pitirre 8(3):12. Next related species in taxonomic order Previous related species in taxonomic order |