The bobolink is a striking grassland songbird. Breeding males are black below and white on the back, with a buff-yellow patch on the back of the head, a combination that looks like a tuxedo worn backwards. Females and young birds are streaked, buffy brown, and much more subdued.

Bobolinks nest on the ground in hayfields and tall grass, so they depend on open meadows and pastures. The males are known for a bubbling, tinkling song delivered in flight and from perches above the grass. They arrive in Manitoba in late spring, and in fall they leave for a very long migration to South America.

I enjoy the male bobolink’s tuxedo-in-reverse look, black below and cream above, and its bubbling song over the grass.

For more on the bobolink and its habitat, see its species guide at All About Birds.

Bobolink Manitoba sightings

Where and when you can find the bobolink in Manitoba depends on the season and the habitat. You can see more species in the Manitoba birds section.

Back to Manitoba bird photography, or see the portfolio.