Bobolink Photos

Photography by Terry Sohl

My Favorite: I've had a very tough time getting close to Bobolinks, particularly the males. When you do get close, it's also hard to get a good exposure sometimes, with a body composed of large black and large white patches. The photo below is from just east of Brandon, South Dakota on May 15th, 2020. It was easily the closet photo opportunity I've ever had for a male Bobolink, and with lighting that allowed me to get a good exposure for both the black and the white plumage patterns.

Some of my other favorite photos below show the stark difference between a breeding plumaged male, and what the young, females, and non-breeding males look like. Check out some of the August photos below, to see the dramatically different plumage a non-breeding male (and females) may have.

Bobolink - Dolichonyx oryzivorus


Bobolink 1 June 5th, 2005 Minnehaha County, South Dakota	Bobolink 2 June 5th, 2005 Minnehaha County, South Dakota	Bobolink 3 August 28th, 2010 Minnehaha County, South Dakota	Bobolink 4 August 28th, 2010 Minnehaha County, South Dakota

Bobolink 5 August 28th, 2010 Minnehaha County, South Dakota	Bobolink 6 August 28th, 2010 Minnehaha County, South Dakota	Bobolink 7 August 28th, 2010 Minnehaha County, South Dakota	Bobolink 8 August 28th, 2010 Minnehaha County, South Dakota

Bobolink 9 July 2009 Minnehaha County, South Dakota	Bobolink 10 July 23rd, 2011 Grand River National Grasslands, S.Dakota	Bobolink 11 May 17th, 2013 Kingsbury County, South Dakota	Bobolink 12 May 30th, 2015 Kingsbury County, South Dakota

Bobolink 13 May 15th, 2020 Minnehaha County, South Dakota	Bobolink 14 May 15th, 2020 Minnehaha County, South Dakota	Bobolink 15 May 15th, 2020 Minnehaha County, South Dakota	Bobolink 16 May 15th, 2020 Minnehaha County, South Dakota

Bobolink 17 May 15th, 2020 Minnehaha County, South Dakota	Bobolink 18 May 15th, 2020 Minnehaha County, South Dakota	Bobolink 19 August 25th, 2018 Good Earth State Park, South Dakota	Bobolink 20 August 25th, 2018 Good Earth State Park, South Dakota

Bobolink 21 August 25th, 2018 Good Earth State Park, South Dakota