Dolichonyx
oryzivorus
(Bobolink)
Physical
Description:
6-8" (15-20 cm). Adult
male black except for buffy
yellow hindneck, white
rump, and white scapulars. Females, non-breeding males, and immatures are buff-yellow overall with dark
streaks on back; also dark crown stripes and line behind
eye.
Similar Species- Female Red-winged Blackbird, Savannah Sparrow, male Lark Bunting
Song:
Song
starts with low reedy notes and rolls upward. Some can hear the bird's own name
in the song: bob-o-LINK.
Distribution:
Breeds
from southern British Columbia, east across southern Canada to Nova Scotia,
south to Oregon, Utah, portions of Midwest and New Jersey, and locally to Tennessee
and North Carolina. Winters in central and southern South America.
Habitat:
Found in tall-grass
areas, flooded meadows, prairies, deep cultivated grains, and hayfields. During
migration and in winter, also found
in rice fields, marshes, and open, woody areas. Nests locally in wheat fields
in Idaho.
Diet:
Eats
mainly seeds, but will also eat insects and grain.
Ecology:
Builds cup-shaped
nest on ground. Forages on ground, or may take insects from foliage. When not
breeding, often found in large flocks.
Reproduction:
Female incubates 4-7 eggs (usually 5-6),
for 11-13 days. Young are tended by both parents, and leave nest at 10-14 days
(before they are able to fly). In some areas, females may produce second, unsuccessful
clutch after first brood fledges.
Conservation:
| Element Code: | ABPBXA9010 |
| Status: | Protected nongame species |
| Global Rank: | G5 |
| State Rank: | S4,NTMB |
| National Rank: | N5B |
Important
State References:
No references are available at this time.