Bobolink (BOBO)

Dolichonyx oryzivorus

Male Bobolink  © Frédérick Lelièvre / Macaulay Library
Female Bobolink © Benjamin Hack / Macaulay Library

Range

The Bobolink migrates over a vast range. This species is not seen year-round anywhere in the United States. Bobolinks can be seen from Pennsylvania to Maine during their breeding season, and anywhere south of Pennsylvania, they will only be seen during their migration period.

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Identification

Bobolinks are small birds with flat heads, short necks, and short tails. Males are primarily black with white backs and buffy napes. Females and non-breeding males are buffy brown with dark streaks on their backs, flanks, and heads. Their song is bubbly and rambling with occasional sharp high notes or buzzing low notes.

Listen to its songs and calls here.

Habitat

Bobolinks can be found most commonly in tall dense grasslands and fields, which provide shelter from predators and are prime nesting sites. Bobolinks show strong area sensitivity for larger fields at least five to ten acres in size. Bobolinks prefer planted grasslands with native growth in their northeast habitats. Bobolinks have shown a preference for agricultural fields converted from forest land. These sites are abundant in nesting materials and insects and seeds, which make up the diet of the Bobolink. When migrating, the Bobolink will reside in areas close to their preferred food source of rice and grains. Freshwater marshes and associated land near large bodies of water are known to be frequented by Bobolinks as well. 

Bobolinks are not common in the U.S. in the winter because this bird occupies grasslands and rice fields in South America at this time. In recent years during their summer season in the Northeast, they have occupied deforested areas that have new growth. Fields with dense growth in Central New York are a common place to find Bobolinks. These birds are more dense in areas with low alfalfa and high grass-to-legume ratios. Denser Bobolink populations are also seen more in monocultures of warm-season grasses than in cool-season plantings.

Conservation Status 

Threats to Conservation

The primary reason for the decline in Bobolink populations is land use changes, especially in meadows and hay fields. The large grasslands that Bobolinks prefer are often converted to grow agricultural crops, which disturbs their breeding process. Mainly, the use of pesticides in these areas can poison Bobolinks. Bobolinks also nest in dead grass depressions in the ground, which puts them at risk of harm when fields are mowed. This results in an increasingly northern shift of breeding Bobolink populations. Additionally, human activity—including hunting and consuming of this bird in the Caribbean—has led to population declines. In rice fields, Bobolinks are considered pests and are shot and trapped in an effort to reduce their presence in rice fields and similar habitats.

Funding Opportunities
General Management Guides
Regional Management Guides
Northeast
Midwest & Central
Resources
Works Cited