WhenToBird

Dolichonyx oryzivorus · Icteridae

Bobolink: When and Where to See It

Adult male Bobolink
Photo: Derek Spencer, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

The Bobolink reaches Florida first, around the second week of April, and Idaho last, around mid May.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
today
Second week of November

Each county is shaded by the share of complete checklists there that listed the bird, blended with the weeks either side. Darker is more often. It follows where people watch birds, not how many birds there are. How to read it.

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0%1%2%3%Jan 1-7: 0.1% of 1114036 checklistsJan 8-14: 0% of 824708 checklistsJan 15-21: 0% of 825978 checklistsJan 22-31: 0.1% of 1105853 checklistsFeb 1-7: 0% of 779772 checklistsFeb 8-14: 0% of 864504 checklistsFeb 15-21: 0% of 1127933 checklistsFeb 22-28: 0.1% of 840124 checklistsMar 1-7: 0.1% of 839610 checklistsMar 8-14: 0.1% of 870138 checklistsMar 15-21: 0.1% of 898456 checklistsMar 22-31: 0.1% of 1335637 checklistsApr 1-7: 0.1% of 1030617 checklistsApr 8-14: 0.1% of 1124024 checklistsApr 15-21: 0.1% of 1194575 checklistsApr 22-30: 0.4% of 1675723 checklistsMay 1-7: 1.4% of 1449080 checklistsMay 8-14: 2.2% of 1538353 checklistsMay 15-21: 2.7% of 1219898 checklistsMay 22-31: 2.7% of 1452282 checklistsJun 1-7: 2.8% of 900636 checklistsJun 8-14: 2.6% of 829907 checklistsJun 15-21: 2.4% of 773255 checklistsJun 22-30: 1.9% of 916255 checklistsJul 1-7: 1.4% of 717733 checklistsJul 8-14: 1.0% of 658223 checklistsJul 15-21: 0.8% of 638752 checklistsJul 22-31: 0.7% of 895727 checklistsAug 1-7: 0.7% of 655651 checklistsAug 8-14: 0.8% of 650038 checklistsAug 15-21: 1.0% of 654639 checklistsAug 22-31: 1.4% of 974928 checklistsSep 1-7: 1.4% of 765914 checklistsSep 8-14: 1.2% of 738674 checklistsSep 15-21: 1.0% of 750433 checklistsSep 22-30: 0.8% of 944196 checklistsOct 1-7: 0.6% of 760106 checklistsOct 8-14: 0.4% of 793131 checklistsOct 15-21: 0.2% of 728727 checklistsOct 22-31: 0.1% of 959954 checklistsNov 1-7: 0.1% of 709464 checklistsNov 8-14: 0.1% of 693424 checklistsNov 15-21: 0.1% of 653952 checklistsNov 22-30: 0.1% of 871137 checklistsDec 1-7: 0.1% of 627591 checklistsDec 8-14: 0.1% of 642427 checklistsDec 15-21: 0.1% of 775638 checklistsDec 22-31: 0.1% of 1132751 checklistsJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.

Pooled across every state in the data, so it leans toward states with the most birders.

States, in order of first arrivals

StatePatternFirst arrivalsPeakMost gone byPeak %
FloridaSummer visitorApr 8-14May 1-7May 15-212.7%
AlabamaPasses throughApr 15-21May 1-7May 8-142.9%
GeorgiaPasses throughApr 15-21May 1-7May 22-312.2%
LouisianaPasses throughApr 15-21May 1-7May 8-141.6%
MissouriPasses throughApr 15-21May 8-14Jul 1-72.0%
MississippiPasses throughApr 15-21May 1-7May 15-212.5%
North CarolinaSummer visitorApr 15-21May 1-7May 22-311.8%
South CarolinaSummer visitorApr 15-21May 1-7May 15-212.1%
ArkansasPasses throughApr 22-30May 8-14May 15-212.7%
OhioSummer visitorApr 22-30Jun 8-14Sep 15-213.6%
West VirginiaSummer visitorApr 22-30Jun 1-7Aug 22-314.5%
District of ColumbiaSummer visitorApr 22-30May 8-14May 22-312.2%
IndianaSummer visitorApr 22-30May 15-21Jul 1-71.7%
KansasPasses throughApr 22-30May 8-14May 15-211.5%
KentuckySummer visitorApr 22-30May 15-21Sep 22-301.7%
OklahomaPasses throughApr 22-30May 8-14May 15-211.4%
TennesseePasses throughApr 22-30May 8-14May 15-211.9%
VermontPasses throughMay 1-7May 22-31Jul 1-712%
MaineSummer visitorMay 1-7May 22-31Sep 1-78.0%
New JerseyPasses throughMay 1-7Sep 1-7Oct 1-78.7%
South DakotaSummer visitorMay 1-7May 22-31Jul 8-148.4%
IowaSummer visitorMay 1-7Jun 1-7Jul 8-145.8%
IllinoisSummer visitorMay 1-7Jun 8-14Jul 8-145.8%
MassachusettsSummer visitorMay 1-7May 22-31Oct 1-75.9%
MinnesotaPasses throughMay 1-7Jun 8-14Jul 8-146.7%
NebraskaSummer visitorMay 1-7Jun 8-14Aug 22-315.5%
New HampshireSummer visitorMay 1-7May 22-31Oct 1-76.5%
New YorkSummer visitorMay 1-7Jun 8-14Sep 8-146.5%
WisconsinPasses throughMay 1-7Jun 8-14Jul 8-147.1%
ConnecticutSummer visitorMay 1-7Sep 1-7Oct 1-73.5%
MichiganSummer visitorMay 1-7Jun 8-14Jul 8-144.9%
PennsylvaniaSummer visitorMay 1-7Jun 1-7Jul 8-143.1%
Rhode IslandSummer visitorMay 1-7Sep 8-14Oct 8-144.7%
North DakotaPasses throughMay 8-14Jun 8-14Jul 8-1423%
UtahPasses throughMay 8-14May 22-31Jun 22-301.1%
WyomingPasses throughMay 8-14May 22-31Jun 22-301.1%
MontanaPasses throughMay 15-21Jun 1-7Jul 1-73.9%
ColoradoPasses throughMay 15-21Jun 1-7Jul 1-71.3%
IdahoPasses throughMay 15-21Jun 1-7Jul 1-71.1%
DelawarePasses throughJul 8-14Sep 1-7Sep 22-307.2%
MarylandSummer visitorAug 1-7Sep 1-7Oct 8-143.3%
VirginiaSummer visitorAug 15-21Sep 8-14Oct 8-141.7%

Passes through: New Jersey, Delaware

Summer visitor in: Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maryland, Virginia