Bobolinks at Glacier Ridge

I had some time on Sunday to visit Glacier Ridge Metro Park northwest of Columbus. This is one of a few parks in the Columbus area that has made efforts to restore the prairie environment that was historically found in Central Ohio. This park is notable for several things, but the one I was focused on was the Bobolinks.


These sharp-looking blackbirds have moved right back in at Glacier Ridge and have used the park as their nesting ground for several years now. I found three male birds in a couple of hours, but there were likely more hiding in the tall grass. I managed to snap a few pictures to share.

A bobolink surveying his domain

Lucky capture (phone camera through binoculars)!

The Bobolinks are famous for their elaborate courtship displays. I found one of these birds that was making flights, either because he hasn't found a mate yet or because he wants to make sure the other birds are respecting his territory. The flight is combined with a bouncing, buzzing, and rollicking song, which is a lot of fun to watch. I managed to capture a couple videos, although one was interrupted by some cyclists.

In addition to the Bobolinks, I found some Eastern Meadowlarks and Grasshopper Sparrows. Like the Bobolink, these birds are fixtures of the prairies and grasslands. They also have very distinctive songs, but I couldn't find any that lent themselves well to being recorded. However, you can find recording on the pages I linked to if you'd like to listen.

After the torrential downpour on Saturday, it was a great day to explore the prairie, with good birds and minimal sunburn. I have my full list of birds here.