Bobolink is a North American songbird related to blackbirds and orioles. It is named for the sounds in its bubbly song, bob-o-lee, bob-o-link.
The bobolink is about 7 inches (18 centimeters) long. In the fall, both the male and the female are tan with dark stripes on their heads and backs. In late spring and in summer, the male is black with yellow and white patches on the head, back, and wings.
Bobolinks migrate long distances between their summer and winter homes. During the summer, when they breed, bobolinks are found in the northern and central United States, and in Canada. They spend the winter in South America, from central Brazil to Argentina. They begin flying south in July and August, while the weather is still warm. Along the way, they often stop to feed in rice fields. For this reason, bobolinks are sometimes called ricebirds. In the spring, they return to their summer nesting grounds in the north.
Loading the player...Bobolink
Bobolinks nest in fields and meadows. They build a simple nest on the ground beneath tall grasses or clover. The female bobolink lays four to seven eggs, which are whitish-gray or tan with lilac and brown spots and streaks.
