Is a bobolink a quail?

What is the etymology of the word Bobolink?

Etymology. The genus name Dolichonyx is from Ancient Greek dolikhos, “long”, and onux, “claw”. The specific oryzivorus is from Latin oryza, “rice”, and vorare, “to devour”; an old name for this species is “Rice Bird”. The English “Bobolink” is from Bob o’ Lincoln, describing the call.

Why is the bobolink bird endangered?

The main reason for Bobolink declines is habitat loss, particularly due to early and repeated hay harvests. A 2019 study showed that grassland bird species such as the Bobolink, Dickcissel, and Henslow’s Sparrow experienced a 53-percent reduction in population — a loss of more than 720 million birds — since 1970.

What is the habitat of Bobolink?

The Bobolink also occurs in various grassland habitats including wet prairie, graminoid peatlands and abandoned fields dominated by tall grasses, remnants of uncultivated virgin prairie (tall- grass prairie), no-till cropland, small-grain fields, restored surface mining sites and irrigated fields in arid regions.

What are some poems about the Bob-O-Link?

Emily Dickinson penned many poems about the bird. Edgar Allan Poe mentions the bird in “Landor’s Cottage”. William Cullen Bryant wrote about the bob-o’-link in his poem “Robert of Lincoln.”

Where can I see bobolinks in Ontario?

The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) actively conserves habitats for grassland birds, including the bobolink, which require prairies, savannah and other grassland habitats to survive. In Ontario, this species can be spotted in the Rice Lake Plains and MacMillan Nature Reserve, where we are restoring native grassland and savannah habitat.

Are bobolinks vulnerable to pesticides?

Bobolinks are also vulnerable to pesticides, particularly on their wintering grounds, where they are sometimes intentionally poisoned and shot as agricultural pests. ABC is working to help the Bobolink and other grassland birds through our Pesticides program.

Why is the bobolink endangered?

The bobolink is 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.

Where do bobolinks live near my home?

If there’s breeding habitat of grassy pasture or overgrown fields near your home, Bobolinks may visit open yards to forage on seed-bearing weeds. 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.

How far does a bobolink travel in its lifetime?

A bobolink during its lifetime may travel the same distance as 4 or 5 times round the Earth. Bobolink is also called “butter bird”, because it gorges itself in Georgia and South Carolina, causing it to become so fat that it is hunted as a game bird. Bobolinks have some unusual nesting behaviors.

Is the bobolink a real bird?

The bobolink is also mentioned in the film The Mouse on the Moon in connection with the fictional European microstate of Grand Fenwick, where oddly the bird is apparently common. The bobolink is also mentioned in the musical Camelot.

Where do bobolinks go when they migrate?

If there’s breeding habitat of grassy pasture or overgrown fields near your home, Bobolinks may visit open yards to forage on seed-bearing weeds. Cool Facts 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.

Why are bobolinks endangered?

Bobolink populations have declined by 50 percent in the last 40 years in part due to pesticide use. In Bolivia, a major wintering ground for the species, rice farmers try to protect their crops by using pesticides such as monochrotophos, which is highly toxic to birds (and humans) and banned from use in the United States.

Are there bobolinks in Washington State?

Bobolinks are historically more eastern birds and have expanded their range into Washington because of the habitat created by agriculture. In fact, the Toppenish colony near Yakima is probably the westernmost Bobolink colony in North America. Mowing and livestock grazing are both threats to breeding Bobolinks.

Why do we need Bobolink?

BOBOLINKS. Conserving Bobolink habitat will also aid in maintaining populations of other declining grassland birds such as Eastern Meadowlark, Savannah Sparrow, Upland Sandpiper, and Grasshopper Sparrow. The conservation of grassland birds is intricately tied to a healthy agricultural industry!

Where can I find bobolinks?

Bobolinks are birds of tall grasslands, uncut pastures, overgrown fields and meadows, and the continent’s remaining prairies. While molting and on migration, look for them in marshes and in agricultural fields, particularly rice fields.

Are bobolinks in decline?

Although Bobolinks are numerous and adaptable, their U.S. population declined by over 2% per year between 1966 and 2015, resulting in a cumulative decline of 65%, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey.

Do bobolinks fight each other?

Outside of the nesting season Bobolinks live socially in flocks. After arriving on the breeding grounds males compete vigorously for territories by singing, displaying, fighting, and chasing each other. In the male’s primary nest, both parents feed the young, and in his secondary nests he may help with feeding to varying degrees.

Do bobolinks molt their feathers?

Bobolinks molt their feathers twice a year, which is unusual for a songbird. One molt occurs after breeding and before migration; the other molt occurs on the wintering grounds. Males change their appearance drastically. They go from the striking “skunkbird” black and white to more muted coloring and resemble the female bird, seen below.

Where do bobolinks live in South America?

Habitat. After breeding, Bobolinks move to freshwater marshes and coastal areas to molt before migrating. Their main wintering area is in the southern interior of South America, where they spend their time in grasslands, marshes, rice fields, and sorghum fields. Back to top.

How do bobolinks migrate?

Long-distance migrants, Bobolinks winter in southern South America. They migrate in flocks that appear to be sexually segregated in the spring but mixed in the fall. Magnetic cues, which help many bird species migrate, appear to be particularly important to Bobolinks.

Where do birds go during migration?

Many birds start their southerly migration in short feeding hops, moving to reedbeds and other favoured areas on the south coast. As they fatten up, bird ringers record the amount of fat birds are carrying before their migration.