Birdsong field guide
Bobolink
Dolichonyx oryzivorus
A distinctive grassland songbird famous for its extraordinary long-distance migration and the male's unique reverse-countershaded breeding plumage.
What it sounds like
A complex, bubbling, and metallic series of notes often described as sounding like a robotic or electronic tinkling.
Reference call, compare with what you heard
0:00 / --:--
Field notes
- Undertakes one of the longest annual migrations of any New World passerine, traveling up to 12,500 miles round-trip to South America.
- Males exhibit reverse countershading during the breeding season, featuring a white back and black underparts to stand out against the sky during displays.
- Possesses iron oxide (magnetite) in its nasal cavity and tissues near the optic nerve to navigate using the Earth's magnetic field.
- The species name 'oryzivorus' means 'rice-eater,' a reference to its habit of foraging in grain fields during migration.
- Bobolinks are highly sensitive to haying cycles, as they nest on the ground in active agricultural grasslands.
Habitat
Large, open grasslands, hayfields, and tallgrass prairies.
Range
Breeds in the northern United States and southern Canada; winters in the pampas of southern South America.
Heard a Bobolink?
Open Birdsong, tap record, and identify the bird singing near you in seconds — then collect it in your field journal.
Identify a bird by its song