noun

bobolink

BOB-uh-lingk/ˈbɑbəˌlɪŋk/

A North American songbird of meadows and fields.

A bobolink sings from a tall stalk in the open meadow.

A breeding male bobolink singing from a meadow grass stalk, with its distinctive black body, buff nape, and white shoulder and rump patches clearly visible.

Etymology

bobolinkEnglishimitation of the bird’s song

The earlier name bob-o-Lincoln imitated the bird’s hearty spring song. The name thus identifies this songbird through a human rendering of its bubbling call.

In context

Bird Ecology and Conservation Ontario0:19

because of steep population declines over the last few decades Bobolink are listed as a threatened species in Ontario

Studying Bobolink in Grazed Pastures

More examples

The birdwatcher spots several bobolinks above the hayfield.
The male bobolink has contrasting dark and pale plumage.
A bobolink disappears into the long grass.

Forms

bobolink · bobolinks