Bobolink
Dolichonyx oryzivorus
This grassland songbird undertakes an annual round-trip migration of approximately 20,000 km between its grassland breeding areas in southern Canada and wintering range in central South America. Over 25% of the global population breeds in Canada, mostly from Saskatchewan to Quebec. Population size decreased sharply throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and has since continued to decline, but at a slower rate. New analyses indicates that declines are not as sharp as once thought. On PEI , 91 of 100 survey areas were occupied during the Maritimes Breeding Bird Atlas (1986-1991) but only 67 during the Second Atlas (2006-2011).
Key threats to the species occur throughout its life cycle, including incidental mortality and nest failure from haying and other agricultural activities, habitat loss and fragmentation, pesticide exposure in all seasons, and persecution at wintering feeding and roosting sites. The Island Nature Trust works with landowners to assure that females, nestlings and nests are not lost during early hay cuts.