Bobolink 301 



Distribution. — Breeding from Pennsylvania westwards to Utah, and 

 northwards to Quebec and British Columbia ; on migration through 

 the southern States via the West Indies and Yucatan to southern Brazil 

 and Bolivia in winter. 



In Colorado the Bobolink is quite an unconimon bird and has never 

 yet been met with nesting. It is chiefly confined to the eastern plains, 

 though occasionally straying into the park regions, having been noticed 

 by Carter in Middle and South Parks in May at elevations of about 7,000 

 to 8,000 feet. Other records are as follows : Near Meeker, 6,000 feet 

 in Rio Blanco co. (Hopkins), Steamboat Springs, June 1st to 8th 

 (Warren), Loveland (Osburn and Cooke), Boulder co., several records 

 (Henderson), El Paso co.. May and September (Aiken), Limon (Aiken), 

 SaUda (Warren 09), Huerfano co., May (Henshaw). 



Habits. — The Bobolink is also knovm as the Skunk- 

 Blackbird, Reed-bird and Rice-bird, in various parts of 

 its range. In Colorado its best-known name, Bobolink, 

 is very generally applied to the Lark-Bunting {Calamo- 

 spiza mdanocorys), and it is by no means the familiar 

 bird it is in the east, where its habits are so well known. 

 It is a bird of the open country, and is never found in 

 forest, and it appears to be gradually extending its 

 western range with the cultivation of cereal crops, on 

 which it depends to a great extent for its food. In the 

 south it does a very great deal of damage among the rice 

 crops, during its northward and southward migrations, 

 but in the breeding season and further north it subsists 

 chiefly on insects, and those mostly injurious ones. 



The Bobolink is not known to breed in Colorado, 

 but in the east it builds its nest on the ground, often 

 in company. The eggs, five or six in number, vary a 

 good deal ; the ground-colour is grey to light brown, 

 spotted and blotched with deeper purplish and reddish- 

 brown. They measure -83 x '62. Only one brood is 

 raised in the year. Judge Henderson of Boulder informs 

 me that he has reason to believe that the Bobolink 

 breeds on the plains near Boulder, but he has not yet 

 sufficient evidence to positively confirm his observations. 



