The Bobolink inhabits Canada's grassland and agricultural areas from the interior of British Columbia to the east coast. Relative to 1970 levels, this species has shown a large decrease across most of its range, with the exception of the Prairies and Northern Rockies, where populations remain relatively unchanged. The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada assessed the Bobolink as Threatened in 2010 (COSEWIC 2010d) and it was listed as such under the Species at Risk Act in 2017. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
Although Bobolink populations benefited by large-scale conversion of forest to agriculture in Eastern Canada during European settlement (Renfrew et al. 2015), widespread declines since about 1970 have raised conservation concerns. The most likely causes of the declines include changes to hayfield management, where harvesting occurs earlier and more frequently during the breeding period (Herkert 1997, Murphy 2003), conversion of forage crops to grain crops, habitat fragmentation, and pesticide use on the breeding and wintering grounds (COSEWIC 2010d). The Breeding Bird Survey indicates that populations in the Prairie Potholes Bird Conservation Region (BCR) have not undergone the decreases common to other areas. Reasons for this are not clear, though a recent increase in seeded pasture and cultivated hay in the Prairie Potholes BCR has been noted (Watmough and Schmoll 2007). This is a change that may have benefited Bobolinks by increasing potential habitat. For information on the legal status of this species under the Species at Risk Act (SARA), see the SARA Registry.
Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:
Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.