How to attract dickcissels to your yard
Dickcissels respond to four things: the right food, the right plants, water and safe nesting cover. Here is what each means for this particular bird, drawn from its range across 19 states and provinces.
First: is it in your area, and when?
You can only attract a bird that passes through or lives near you, so start with timing. It arrives only to breed in 19, such as Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana and 13 more, so set up before spring arrival.
Plant what dickcissels use
These native plants are tied to the Dickcissel in our regional plant lists (Audubon Native Plants and state sources). The count shows how many states or provinces list the plant for this bird — higher means it works across more of the range. Pick the ones native where you live.
| Plant | Type | States | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta | Perennial | 19 | Prolific seed heads for finches and sparrows. |
| Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium | Perennial | 19 | Native bunchgrass; winter seed and ground cover for sparrows and juncos. |
| Tall goldenrod Solidago altissima | Perennial | 19 | Insect-rich in fall and seed in winter. |
| Wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa | Perennial | 19 | Tubular flowers for hummingbirds and seed heads for finches. |
| New England aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae | Perennial | 17 | Late nectar for insects and fall seed for sparrows. |
| Purple coneflower Echinacea purpurea | Perennial | 17 | Leave seed heads up through winter for goldfinches. |
| Common sunflower Helianthus annuus | Perennial | 14 | Annual native sunflower — the original feeder seed. |
| Sugar maple Acer saccharum | Tree | 11 | Hosts hundreds of caterpillar species; spring flowers draw early insects. |
| Paper birch Betula papyrifera | Tree | 6 | Catkin seed feeds redpolls and siskins all winter. |
| Red maple Acer rubrum | Tree | 6 | Among the first spring bloomers; early insects for returning migrants. |
Your list covers 2 plant layers (perennial, tree). Layering matters: add structure around these — a shrub layer under the trees gives dickcissels a safe approach. Leave seed heads and fruit standing into winter instead of cutting back in fall.
Offer the food it actually eats
Grass and weed seeds, plus insects when nesting.
- Warm months
- Grasshoppers, caterpillars and grass seeds
- Cold months
- Migrates to Venezuela in huge flocks
- At feeders
- Millet, Black-oil sunflower
Feeder style matters as much as food: low ground tray under cover is the first choice for this bird. Sings all day from prairie fenceposts; numbers shift wildly between years with rainfall. Feeder guide →
Give it a place to nest
Natural site: Bulky cup low in dense grass or forbs.
It does not use nest boxes, so the way to host a nest is cover: keep dense native shrubs, vines or trees of the kind listed above, and avoid pruning them during the nesting season.
- Clutch
- 3–6 eggs
- Incubation
- 12–13 days
- Nestling period
- 8–10 days
- Broods per year
- 1–2 per season
Timing shifts with latitude: nesting begins around April in Louisiana but not until June in Wisconsin. Don't trim shrubs or clean boxes during those months.
Water, safety and patience
- A shallow bath (1–2 in deep) with a rough bottom, refreshed every 2–3 days; a dripper or heater makes it far more attractive in summer heat and winter freeze.
- Place feeders within 3 ft of windows or more than 30 ft away to cut window strikes, and keep cats indoors.
- Skip pesticides — most backyard birds feed insects to their nestlings, even seed-eaters.
- Give it time. New feeders and plantings can take days to weeks to be found; a summer breeder won't appear until it returns in spring.
Frequently asked
What attracts dickcissels to a yard?
Food they actually eat (millet, black-oil sunflower), native plants such as Black-eyed Susan, Little bluestem, Tall goldenrod, clean water and suitable nesting cover: bulky cup low in dense grass or forbs.
What plants attract dickcissels?
Across the Dickcissel's range, the native plants most often tied to it are Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), Tall goldenrod (Solidago altissima), Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae). Choose the ones native to your state.
When should I set up my yard for nesting dickcissels?
Nesting starts around April in Louisiana and as late as June in Wisconsin. Have cover, water ready a month before.
Sources
- Dickcissel — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Dickcissel life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Dickcissel — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- Audubon Native Plants Database
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.