#2847 "Bobolink"

#2847 "Bobolink"
18 (height) X 14 (width) inches.
Started Thursday, March 21st, 2024 in the Singleton Studio 

This is another image taken by my friend, John Verburg, a naturalist and terrific photographer. John provides a tremendous source of inspiration during the winter when the weather encourages me to stay within the Singleton Studio. 

These are intended to be loose but recognizable portraits with some life in the brush strokes and oils. They are not meant to be biological Audubon records of a particular species. Miraculously on this bobolink, I got the eye right on the first pass and decided to leave that portion of the painting untouched thereafter. 

Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) of the Passeriformes order and Icteridae family is one of my very favourite birds. We refer to it as the upside-down bird as the breeding male is light-coloured on top and dark underneath. This colour arrangement is in sharp contrast to most other creatures - birds and fishes included. Some people have described this look as wearing a tuxedo backwards. 

Historically, Bobolinks lived in North American tallgrass prairie and other open meadows. With the clearing of native prairies, Bobolinks moved to live in hayfields. Bobolinks often build their small nests on the ground in dense grasses. Both parents usually tend to their young, sometimes with a third Bobolink helping. Bobolinks spend much of their time out of sight on the ground feeding on insects and seeds. 

The breeding male Bobolinks are striking whether perched on a grass stem or displayed in flight over a field. No other North American bird has a white back and black underparts. The male's rich, lemon-coloured patch on the head and his bubbling, virtuosic song make the Bobolink a pleasure to have a round. As summer ends the male molts into a buff and brown female-like plumage. Bobolink numbers are declining and I often do not see any at all in a particular year. 

Bobolink populations have declined considerably over the past half-century. As a wide-ranging species that migrates in and out of Ontario, there are likely several causes for this decline. 

• Habitat loss and degradation are considered the greatest threats to Bobolink populations.
• Along their migration route and in their wintering areas in South America, they are considered a pest of grain crops.
• Mowing of hay during the breeding period may inadvertently kill and disturb nesting adults and young birds and destroy eggs and nests.
• Cutting hay in early to mid-July coincides with the time that young birds are in the nest and are not able to fly.

The quality of Bobolink nesting habitat has likely declined over time due to modern hay production practices such as earlier maturing seed mixtures and shorter crop rotation cycles.  "Threatened" means the species lives in the wild in Ontario and is not endangered, but is likely to become endangered if steps are not taken to address factors threatening it. 

These special birds and all of nature in fact, deserve our respect and assistance to ensure that they survive for countless more centuries. 

For this and much more art, click on Pixels or go straight to the Collections. Here is the new Wet Paint 2024 Collection. 

Warmest regards and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick