How to attract bobolinks to your yard
Bobolinks respond to four things: the right food, the right plants, water and safe nesting cover. Here is what each means for this particular bird, drawn from its range across 40 states and provinces.
First: is it in your area, and when?
You can only attract a bird that passes through or lives near you, so start with timing. It arrives only to breed in 40, such as Alberta, British Columbia, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois and 34 more, so set up before spring arrival.
Plant what bobolinks use
These native plants are tied to the Bobolink in our regional plant lists (Audubon Native Plants and state sources). The count shows how many states or provinces list the plant for this bird — higher means it works across more of the range. Pick the ones native where you live.
| Plant | Type | States | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa | Perennial | 32 | Tubular flowers for hummingbirds and seed heads for finches. |
| Black cherry Prunus serotina | Tree | 26 | Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees. |
| American elderberry Sambucus canadensis | Shrub | 25 | Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species. |
| Bur oak Quercus macrocarpa | Tree | 24 | Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load. |
| Serviceberry Amelanchier arborea | Tree | 24 | Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed. |
| White oak Quercus alba | Tree | 22 | Acorns plus hundreds of caterpillar species for nestling food. |
| Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta | Perennial | 19 | Prolific seed heads for finches and sparrows. |
| Spicebush Lindera benzoin | Shrub | 16 | Lipid-rich red fruit fuels fall migrants. |
| Flowering dogwood Cornus florida | Tree | 15 | Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers. |
| Arrowwood viburnum Viburnum dentatum | Shrub | 14 | Blue-black fall fruit and dense nesting cover. |
Your list covers 3 plant layers (perennial, tree, shrub). Layering matters: mixing perennial, tree, shrub gives bobolinks food, perches and cover at different heights. Leave seed heads and fruit standing into winter instead of cutting back in fall.
Offer the food it actually eats
Insects and grass seeds from hayfields.
- Warm months
- Grasshoppers, caterpillars and grass seeds
- Cold months
- Migrates to Argentina — a 12,500-mile round trip
- At feeders
- None — unmowed hayfields are the habitat
Feeder style matters as much as food: shallow bird bath (1–2 in deep) is the first choice for this bird. Needs hayfields left uncut until mid-July; delaying the first cut is the single best thing for them. Feeder guide →
Give it a place to nest
Natural site: Grass cup on the ground in a hayfield or meadow.
It does not use nest boxes, so the way to host a nest is cover: keep dense native shrubs, vines or trees of the kind listed above, and avoid pruning them during the nesting season.
- Clutch
- 1–7 eggs
- Incubation
- 11–14 days
- Nestling period
- 10–14 days
- Broods per year
- 1 per season
Timing shifts with latitude: nesting begins around May in Colorado but not until June in Wyoming. Don't trim shrubs or clean boxes during those months.
Water, safety and patience
- A shallow bath (1–2 in deep) with a rough bottom, refreshed every 2–3 days; a dripper or heater makes it far more attractive in summer heat and winter freeze.
- Place feeders within 3 ft of windows or more than 30 ft away to cut window strikes, and keep cats indoors.
- Skip pesticides — most backyard birds feed insects to their nestlings, even seed-eaters.
- Give it time. New feeders and plantings can take days to weeks to be found; a summer breeder won't appear until it returns in spring.
Frequently asked
What attracts bobolinks to a yard?
Food they actually eat (none — unmowed hayfields are the habitat), native plants such as Wild bergamot, Black cherry, American elderberry, clean water and suitable nesting cover: grass cup on the ground in a hayfield or meadow.
What plants attract bobolinks?
Across the Bobolink's range, the native plants most often tied to it are Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), Black cherry (Prunus serotina), American elderberry (Sambucus canadensis), Bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa), Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea). Choose the ones native to your state.
When should I set up my yard for nesting bobolinks?
Nesting starts around May in Colorado and as late as June in Wyoming. Have cover, water ready a month before.
Sources
- Bobolink — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Bobolink life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Bobolink — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- Audubon Native Plants Database
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.