Male Dickcissels Feed Nestlings In East-Central Illinois

We observed male Dickcissels (Spiza americana) commonly feeding nestlings in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) fields in 1997 in east-central Illinois. Male Dickcissels fed nestlings at six of the eight nests we observed, accounting for 37% of the total nest visits. Overall, females made significantly more nest visits than males. However, at the six male-assisted nests, the number of male and female nest visits did not differ significantly. Male Dickcissel feeding behavior may have been prompted by low food abundance. Males were not observed feeding nestlings in 1998, when overall nest success was high er and nestling starvation was less than in 1997.