Nesting occurs as far south as central Kansas, northern Kentucky, and the Appalachian foothills of West Virginia and
virginia male bobolinks
arrive on the breeding grounds ahead of the females and compete for territories through fluttering, hovering flight displays and complex, rollicking, bubbly, twangy songs.
Do Bobolinks nest on the ground?
Bobolinks are adversely affected by mowing as they nest on the ground , forming their homes from twigs and grass. They arrive in New England to breed in mid-late May, with young hatching in mid-June. Hatching occurs at the same time when many farmers harvest their first cut of hay, resulting in nest failures.
What is so striking about the Bobolink bird?
The Bobolink is one of the world’s most
impressive songbird migrants
, traveling some 12,500 miles (20,000 kilometers) to and from southern South America every year. Throughout its lifetime, it may travel the equivalent of 4 or 5 times around the circumference of the earth.
Is there a bird called a Bobolink?
The bobolink (
dolichonyx oryzivorus
) is a small New World blackbird and the only member of the genus Dolichonyx An old name for this species is the “rice bird”, from its tendency to feed on cultivated grains during winter and migration.
Why is it called a Bobolink?
The Bobolink’s common name originates from a poem written by William Cullen Bryant back in the late 19 th century William wrote about a bird he then called Robert of Lincoln. This name was shorten to Bob of Lincoln, and finally became the name it has today: Bob o’Link.
Is Bobolink native to Canada?
The Bobolink originally nested in the tall-grass prairie of the mid-western U.S. and south central Canada.
What do Bobolink eggs look like?
egg description
: Pale bluish gray to reddish brown, with irregular spots of brown and lavender.
Where do
red wing blackbirds nest
?
Nest Placement Typically, she puts the nest near the ground (or water surface in a marsh), in dense, grass-like vegetation such as cattails, bulrushes, sedges, and Phragmites in wetlands; goldenrod, blackberry, or willow and alder trees in uplands; and wheat, barley, alfalfa, and rice plants.
What does Bobolink mean in English?
Definition of bobolink : an American migratory songbird (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) with the breeding male chiefly black.
Is the Bobolink a rare bird?
In New- foundland, they are rare and localized breeders found in hayfields, farmlands, salt marshes, and in grassy fields surrounded by trees. Although little is known of Bobolink population trends for Newfoundland, global populations have been declining at a rate of 10-30%/year.
What do Bobolink birds eat?
Majority of summer diet is insects, including beetles, grasshoppers, caterpillars, wasps, ants, and many others, also spiders and millipedes. Also eats many seeds of weeds, grasses, and grains May feed more heavily on grain during migration, and in former times caused much damage in southern rice fields.
What’s a Bobolink look like?
Breeding male Bobolinks are mostly black with a white back and rump, and a rich buffy nape. Females and nonbreeding males are warm buffy brown, streaked with dark brown on the back and flanks. They have bold brown stripes on the crown but are unstreaked on the nape of the neck. The bill is pinkish.
What do meadowlarks eggs look like?
Egg Description: White profusely spotted with brown, rust, and lavender.
What noise does the Bobolink make?
Bobolinks use a pink sound all year round to communicate within flocks, and they have several additional calls during the breeding season. Males give chunk, chenk, and see-yew calls when disturbed by intruders, buzzes during courtship display, and staccato check notes while pursuing other males.
Are Bobolink endangered?
Bobolinks are assessed as threatened in Canada by the Committee of the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada and listed under the Species at Risk Act. Bobolink populations are declining because of the loss of prairies and other grasslands habitats.
Does Bobolink migrate?
Migration. Long-distance migrant. Bobolinks travel about 12,500 miles round-trip every year , in one of the longest migrations of any songbird in the New World. From their northern breeding grounds they fly in groups through Florida and across the Gulf of Mexico toward their wintering grounds in South America.
Are there Swifts in Ontario?
The Chimney Swift breeds in eastern North America, possibly as far north as southern Newfoundland. In Ontario, it is most widely distributed in the Carolinian zone in the south and southwest of the province, but has been detected throughout most of the province south of the 49 th parallel.
Do blackbirds mate for life?
Blackbirds. The blackbird is one of few monogamous species in the bird kingdom, picking partners that last until death The breeding pair will often locate suitable nests for the female together, to help her feel the most comfortable.
Do red wing blackbirds mate for life?
Male Red Winged Blackbird Forget mating for life Males of this species can’t commit. They juggle as many as 15 female mates. Check out sweet photos that show how birds flirt and attract mates.
Where do blackbirds go in the winter?
Large numbers of Blackbirds migrate from Sandinavia and continental Europe to spend the winter here in Britain and Ireland A few of our Blackbirds migrate too, but generally only moving within Britain, often moving south and west during the autumn, pursuing the milder weather.”.
What is Skrock?
noun. a set of beliefs that future events may be influenced by one’s behaviour in some magical or mystical way.
Citations
https://www.bobolinkproject.com/why_bobolinks.php
https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/bobolink
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobolink