Bobolink in July
Where bobolinks are in July, whether they are nesting, and the best foods to offer right now.
July in the Bobolink's year
July is the quietest month for bird song but one of the busiest for bird life. Many species are on second broods, young birds from first broods are independent, and natural food — insects, ripening fruit and seeds — is abundant. In the far South the first southbound shorebirds are already moving.
For the Bobolink specifically, July is a summer month inside the nesting season — one of the most active and demanding periods of this bird's year. Across the 40 states and provinces where bobolinks occur, what the bird is doing this month depends heavily on latitude — the details below break it down by band.
Where bobolinks are in July
- Southern states
- absent
- Mid-latitudes
- summer breeder
- Northern states & Canada
- absent
In July, bobolinks are absent in the South, summer breeder across the mid-latitudes, and absent in the northern states and Canada. That north–south split is the defining feature of this month: where you live changes which version of this bird you're looking at.
Nesting in July
July is inside the Bobolink nesting season — about a month earlier in the South and a month later in the North. Nest: grass cup on the ground in a hayfield or meadow. Clutch 1–7 eggs, incubation 11–14 days, 1 per season.
The southern nesting season has already wound down, but northern pairs are still raising young — the whole season shifts later as you go north. During the nesting months, adults switch to protein-rich foods for their young, become more secretive around the nest site, and often visit feeders in quick, purposeful trips rather than lingering.
What to feed in July
- Grasshoppers, caterpillars and grass seeds
Needs hayfields left uncut until mid-July; delaying the first cut is the single best thing for them.
Feeder traffic often dips as natural food peaks, but water becomes the big draw — a clean birdbath outpulls seed in hot weather.
Watching bobolinks this month
In July, the best watching is around food rather than the nest — adults make repeated foraging trips and are most visible at dawn and dusk. Give nesting birds space: if a bird is carrying food or scolding you persistently, you're close to a nest and should back off.
The state guides below show exactly where in your region bobolinks are expected this month and which native plants hold them in a yard.
Bobolink month by month
Bobolink by state
Frequently asked
Where are bobolinks in July?
In July, bobolinks are absent in the South, summer breeder across mid-latitudes and absent in the North.
Do bobolinks nest in July?
Yes — July falls inside the Bobolink nesting season at mid-latitudes (a month earlier in the South).
What do bobolinks eat in July?
Grasshoppers, caterpillars and grass seeds.
Sources
- Bobolink — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Bobolink life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Bobolink — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
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.