Boredom is the dream bird that hatches the egg of experience. A rustling in the leaves drives him away.

A Walter Benjamin quotation

Bobolink: Have you seen this bird?

Bobolink

The Bobolink, Dolichonyx oryzivorus, is a small New World blackbird. The collective name for a group of bobolinks is a chain.

These birds migrate to Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay. They often migrate in flocks, feeding on cultivated grains and rice, which leads to them being considered a pest by farmers in some areas.

Identification Tips:
• Length: 6 inches
• Short, conical bill
• Frequents open habitats
• Often found in large flocks in migration

Adult male alternate:
• Black head, underparts, back, wings and tail
• Yellow nape
• White scapulars and rump
• Plumage held in Spring and Summer

Female and basic:
• Buff and black head stripes
• Buff underparts with black streaking on flanks
• Buff upperparts with black streaks on back
• Dark wings and tail with pale edging
• Juvenile similar to basic

Similar species:
The male Bobolink is similar to the male Lark Bunting but has a yellow nape, white rump, and lacks a white wing patch. The female Bobolink is similar to the Grasshopper Sparrow but is larger and has streaked flanks. Female Red-winged Blackbird has a streaked breast.

Bobolinks forage on, or near the ground, and mainly eat seeds and insects. Females lay 5 to 6 eggs in a cup-shaped nest, which is always situated on the ground and is usually well-hidden in dense vegetation. Both parents feed the young.

The numbers of these birds are declining due to loss of habitat. Originally, they were found in tall grass prairie and other open areas with dense grass.