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Birds of Zihuatanejo

CLASS AVES

-Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

-Chordates (Phylum Chordata)

-Vertebrates (Subphylum Vertebrata)

-Birds (Class Aves)

-Perching Birds (Order Passeriformes)

-Cardinals and Allies (Family Cardinalidae)

-Dickcissels (Genus Spiza)

-Dickcissel (Spiza americana)


The Spiza americana, commonly known as the Dickcissel, is a small songbird native to the grasslands of North and South America. It has a varied diet consisting of grasshoppers, beetles, caterpillars, and wild fruits. It is known for its distinct call, which is a rapid, high-pitched trill. This bird is a sociable species, often seen in large flocks in open fields. It is also active during the day, usually seen perched atop a tall grass stem or bush.

Dickcissel

Spiza americana

Diet

  • Primarily seeds of grasses, weeds, and agricultural crops such as sunflower, millet, sorghum, and rice.

  • During the breeding season, also feeds heavily on insects, including grasshoppers, beetles, caterpillars, ants, and spiders.

  • Forages on the ground and in low vegetation, often in flocks outside the breeding season.

Range

  • Breeds throughout the Great Plains and Midwestern United States, with smaller populations in southern Canada.

  • Winters from southern Mexico through Central America to northern South America, especially Venezuela and Colombia.

  • A common migrant and winter visitor to the Zihuatanejo region, where it frequents grasslands, agricultural fields, brushy pastures, weedy fields, and open scrub.

  • Most abundant from September through April.

Male / Female

  • Male (breeding): Gray head, yellow breast with a distinctive black V-shaped throat patch ("bib"), chestnut shoulder patches, brown streaked back, and stout pale bill.

  • Female: Buffy-yellow overall with brown streaked upperparts, faint breast streaking, and lacks the bold black bib; resembles a large sparrow.

  • Non-breeding male: Duller than breeding males, with the black bib partly obscured by buff feather edges.

  • The sexes are easily distinguished during the breeding season by the male's black throat patch.

Size

  • Length: 13–17 cm (5.1–6.7 in)

  • Wingspan: 25–28 cm (9.8–11.0 in)

  • Weight: 25–38 g (0.9–1.3 oz)

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