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Bobolink
[Dolichonyx oryzivorus]
[Length 7 in. Wingspan 11.5 in.]
Bobolinks breed in grasslands and meadows throughout the northern US and into southern Canada. They get their name from the male's bubbly, gurgling "BOB-O-LINK" call.
In migration, Bobolinks are often heard before they are seen, giving a series of "PINK" or "PLINK" flight calls as they fly overhead.
The male in breeding plumage is unmistakable. He is black below, on the head, and the wings, with a bright buffy nape and stark white shoulders and rump.
Females, immatures, and Fall/Winter males are buffy overall with dark streaks and stripes on the head and wings, and often cause identification problems when encountered alone.
This male Bobolink was photographed at a Wildlife Management Area in central New Jersey, USA.
Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm ED f4.5 lens on Kodachrome 64 film.
(Date: May 1980)
(use image name "boblnk" for inquiries)
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