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Bobolink Interesting Facts And Information With Pictures
Bobolink It is a loving and small American bird and Bobolink is also the only bird of the Dolichonyx species. Apart from this, the name of this bird species is Oryzivorus which means rice eating. Bobolink was also known as Ricebird because it had a habit of eating large amounts of grains from rice fields.
Bobolinks are known for their long distance migration and wintering in Central and South America. But in the present time, due to the destruction of their habitat including grasslands, this bird species is no longer found in as many numbers as it used to be.
Bobolinks are also called butterbirds in Jamaica because after eating large amounts of rice, bobolinks are quite fat, so most people hunt and eat them. Keep reading for more interesting facts about this bird. Let's know about this bird and start this article,
Where Are Bobolinks Found
This species of birds mostly lives in a large geographical range extending from the northern part of the United States to the southern part of Canada. When winters come, Bobolinks migrate to South America in countries like Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina. American poet William Cullen Bryant's amusing poem Robert of Lincoln was inspired by the Bobolink and his song.
Famous poetess Emily Dickinson also wrote many poems about Bobolinks. American writer Edgar Allan Poe has mentioned Bobolinks in his short story Landers Cottage and this bird has also been mentioned in the musical Camelot written by Alan Jay Lerner.
Scientific Name Of Bobolink
The scientific name of the Bobolink bird is Dolichonyx oryzivorus and Bobolink is a type of bird. Apart from this, Bobolink belongs to the Aves class of animals and the most special feature of the Bobolink bird is its ability to complete long-distance migration during winter time.
The migration area of Bobolink is quite large as these birds are found in Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina during winter time. Due to this migration, Bobolink is also sometimes seen in Europe. Bobolink has excellent navigation skills and can navigate through magnetic fields due to the magnetite present in its skull.
Habitat Of Bobolink
The habitat of Bobolink is found in open grasslands, large plains, wetlands and grasslands. During winter, Bobolinks migrate to the grasslands of southern South America. Bobolink is an American bird species which is quite territorial during the breeding season. But it is not a solitary bird.
Mostly during migration, Bobolinks are found in large flocks and these flocks contain thousands of birds which start the journey together. In these, male Bobolinks depend largely on singing for communication with others. As soon as the male Bobolink enters the breeding ground, he marks the boundary of his territory by singing. During breeding season the males sing and fly in the sky to attract female bobolinks.
How Do Bobolinks Look Like
Male Bobolink birds are mostly black, cream-colored birds with a neck and white color and lower back. Bobolinks have a white mark below their back. Female Bobolinks are light brown in color and have dark stripes on their head. Apart from this, their wings and tail are dark brown. Read- 41 Interesting Facts About Northern Cardinal With Pictures
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Size And Weight Of Bobolink
The length of the Bobolink bird species is between 5.9-8.3 inches and its wingspan is about 10.6 inches. The weight of the Bobolink bird is around 29-56 grams.
What Do Bobolinks Eat
The food of these birds consists of insects and seeds which they get from the ground through grass. Apart from seeds and insects, Bobolink also eats armyworm insects. Therefore, Bobolink is also nicknamed the Armyworm Bird.
Bobolink Nests
Bobolinks are birds found in North America that exhibit polygamy as male bobolinks can mate with more than one female. Male bobolinks engage in a breeding ritual to attract female birds that involves both singing and flying. The breeding season of bobolinks begins in late April and lasts until early June.
Bobolinks return to the same breeding site every year to build nests where females build nests. After breeding, bobolinks start fattening up for their migration. Female bobolinks mostly breed once a year and each breeding lays three to seven eggs.
The female bobolink incubates the eggs for 10-13 days. The babies are taken care of by both the male and the female in turns and both the male and the female feed their babies.
How Long Do Bobolinks Live
The lifespan of a bobolink bird in the wild is about 4 to 6 years.
How Fast Can A Bobolink Fly
The exact speed of a bobolink bird while flying in the sky has not been recorded yet. But bobolink birds are capable of flying long distances as migrants without getting tired.
How Do Bobolinks Communicate
During the breeding season, male bobolinks communicate verbally through a rumbling sound that sounds metallic when heard. Also, the year-round sound of a bobolink sounds like a bink.
How Many Bobolinks Are There In The World
The exact number of these birds has not been recorded yet by scientists and researchers. But there is no need to worry about the population of these migratory birds as the population of bobolinks is considered to be stable.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed the bobolink in the least concern category as they do not consider the population of bobolinks to be in any danger. But the bobolink population is slowly declining due to habitat loss and climate change. Read- Top 29 Interesting Facts About Philippine Eagle With Picture
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Behavior Of Bobolink
Bobolinks found in North America are not dangerous birds and are not known to harm humans. Bobolinks would not make a good pet as they are wild birds that prefer to stay in their habitat of open grasslands and wetlands. Also, Bobolinks undergo long distance migration every winter and birds that are migratory cannot be kept as pets.
Bobolink Facts For Kids
1. What are some interesting facts about Bobolinks?
Bobolinks are considered to be one of the most impressive migratory birds in the world and this bird travels about 12,500 miles from South America every year. In its entire lifetime, this bird can travel the equivalent of 5 times around the circumference of the earth.
2. Why is it called Bobolink?
This bird got this name from the notes at the climax of the song. An early interpretation was Bob O. Lincoln and listen to the bubbly song of a male bird and see if you hear the name of this bird.
3. What eats a Bobolink?
The species name of the Bobolink is Oryzivorus which means rice eater. These birds live for about 4 to 6 years. A Bobolink is preyed upon by Cooper’s Hawks, Northern Harriers and Merlins and the eggs and chicks of these birds are eaten by Garter Snakes, Sandhill Cranes, Crows, Skunks, Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrels, Cats and Dogs.
4. How rare is a Bobolink?
This bird is still quite common across the US but since 1966 the number of these birds in North America has decreased by 2% per year. The decline in their numbers can be attributed to modern grass practices of abandoning fields and harvesting more often and early.
5. What time of day are Bobolinks most active?
These rice-eating birds are most active during the day.
6. What did the bobolinks do?
The bobolink started singing. Also this bird started singing when the sun rose and a new day approached.
7. What do you mean by bobolink?
The bobolink's species name, oryzivorus means "rice eater". This refers to the bobolink's appetite for rice and other grains and mostly during migration.
8. Which bird is similar to the bobolink?
The grasshopper sparrow has a more complex head pattern and has stripes on the back of the neck instead of the bobolink's smooth, yellow head.
9. What is the behavior of the bobolink?
Bobolinks found in North America are not dangerous birds and are not known to harm humans.
10. What is another name for the bobolink?
The bobolink is a small New World blackbird and is considered to be the only member of the Dolichonyx genus. The older name for this bird species is "rice bird", as the bobolink tends to feed on cultivated grains during winter and migration.