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Henry Sowell

Vol. I · Est. 2026

Pl. CLXIII
Field-journal plate: Bobolink
The Bobolink plate as rendered on the e-ink frame
As rendered on the frame

The Birds · Plate CLXIII

Bobolink

Dolichonyx oryzivorus

Icteridae · Taxon 10487

LengthFemale and male: 6.3–7.1 in (16–18 cm)
WingspanFemale and male: 10.6–11.8 in (27–30 cm)
WeightFemale: 1.0–1.6 oz (28–45 g); male: 1.1–2.1 oz (30–60 g)

Field marks

  1. Compact songbird with a large, somewhat flat head and short neck.
  2. Short, sharply pointed bill; pinkish in female and nonbreeding plumages, darker in breeding males.
  3. Breeding male is black below and on the face, with a white back, shoulders, and rump plus a straw-colored nape.
  4. Female and nonbreeding plumages are warm buff-brown with bold dark crown stripes, a dark eyeline, and streaked back and flanks.
  5. Pointed wings and a short, rounded, multi-pointed tail.
  6. Dark eyes and slender pinkish legs and feet.

HabitatTall grasslands, uncut pastures, overgrown fields, meadows, and prairies; also marshes and agricultural fields during molt and migration.

BehaviorForages for seeds and insects on the ground and among grass stems, often clinging to seed heads. Breeding males perform low, fluttering song flights; outside the nesting season, Bobolinks are social and often travel or feed in flocks.

Palette

jet blackclean whitestraw yellowwarm buff browndark brown