THE BOBOLINK 



American Blackbird Family — Icteridce 



Length: A little over 7 inches. 



Male: Spring or Breeding plumage: Crown, sides of head, 

 throat, and other under parts black; back of head 

 and neck light yellow; upper half of back black, 

 streaked with creamy white; lower half of back, 

 rump, and shoulders white; wings black, some of the 

 feathers tipped with buff; tail black, the feathers 

 pointed. Many birds have dark upper parts and 

 light breasts; the bobolink wears his bright breast 

 upon his back during the summer. In the fall, he 

 resembles the female. 



Female: Olive-brown and light yellow above, with black 

 streaks; head with olive-brown and light yellow 

 stripes; under parts pale yellow; wings and tail 

 brown. 



Notes: A tinkling ding-ding, not unlike the sound of a bell; 

 likewise a chirp. 



Song: A bubbling song, full of ecstasy and abandon. It is 

 one of the most delightful songs of the teter mi- 

 grants. 



Habitat: While in the North, the bobolink inhabits our fields 

 and meadows, where he "swings on brier and weed." 

 In the fall, he frequents the rice-fields of our south- 

 ern states on his way to South America, and does 

 so much harm that he is dreaded and hated. 



Ilange: North and South America. Breeds mainly from the 

 plains of south-central Canada to Nevada, Utah, 

 northern Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Vir- 

 ginia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey; winters in 



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