A Tailless DICK in Queens NY

DICK, in the birdwatching world, is a four letter bird banders code for Dickcissel (Spiza americana). This is not a common bird for us in the NYC metro area and our best shot at finding one is often during the fall migration. It just so happened that I stumbled upon one at Big Egg Marsh in Queens NY on October 28th.

This was an interesting looking Dickcissel made so by the fact that it was not well marked and tailless. In studying the plumage, this bird appeared to be a 1st winter Dickcissel. The braces on the back looked pale and the plumage included slight streaks on the chest heading towards the flank. Coupled that with its drab look made for an interesting study in the field. A good bird for Queens and a first for me at Big Egg Marsh. Some photos are provided for studying.

Tags: Dickcissel, Big Egg Marsh, Queens