Bobolink
Photo: Paul Danese · CC BY-SA 4.0

New World Blackbirds, Troupials, and Allies

Bobolink

Dolichonyx oryzivorus

LCLeast Concern
Family
New World Blackbirds, Troupials, and Allies (Icteridae)
Order
Passeriformes

Overview

The bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) is a small New World blackbird and the only member of the genus Dolichonyx. An old name for this species is the "rice bird", from its tendency to feed on cultivated grains during winter and migration. The bobolink breeds in the summer in the United States and Canada, with most of the summer range in the northern U.S. Bobolinks winter in southern South America, primarily Paraguay, Argentina, and Bolivia. Bobolink numbers are rapidly declining due to factors such as agricultural intensification and habitat loss; they are considered threatened in Canada, and are at risk throughout their range.

Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Range and habitat

Breeds grassland and meadows of North America; winters to southern South America.

Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.

Sources and further reading

Last updated September 29, 2026.