Endangered Bobolink Birds Found in 4th of July Fireworks Site Amesbury, Display Postponed

Officials announced the cancellation of a Fourth of July fireworks display in Amesbury after it was discovered that endangered bobolink birds were breeding in the fields where the event was scheduled to take place.

4th of July Fireworks Display

Amesbury's Woodsom Farm would host the event as a part of the city's Amesbury Days celebration. However, festival organizers reported on Tuesday that city workers preparing to mow the farm discovered endangered Bobolink birds in the fields.

According to the organizers, to find places that may be safely mowed, staff from MassWildlife along with the Mass Audubon Society team undertook a walking grid search within the city.

As a result, the space designated for parking and seats was insufficient to hold the enormous numbers who are slated to attend this event.

More than 10,000 attendees were anticipated for the fireworks display, according to the organizers.

Protecting Endangered Species

Mayor Kassandra Gove said that efforts to pinpoint a different secure location to hold the event were futile. Gove claimed that in order to find the optimal solution, officials collaborated with specialists and conservation groups; in the end, the event was postponed.

According to Gove, the city is familiar with and enamored with bobolinks. Gove added that the birds will still spend time at the farm, so this was only a schedule change.

They collaborated with the organizers, according to Gove. The local government and the organizers wanted to make sure that everyone is safe and that the occasion is one that everyone will enjoy.

The fireworks show has been pushed back, according to the Amesbury Days organizers, for Monday, September 4, 7News Boston reports.

This later date for the fireworks has been received both ways in social media, as some expressed their understanding, while others asked for an earlier date as September 5 is scheduled to be the first day of school.

Amesbury Days

In the meanwhile, additional Amesbury Days activities have started on June 22 and will run through July 3.

The event's planners expect to see people out and about over Labor Day weekend taking in the fireworks and all the other amazing activities scheduled for Amesbury Days.

According to the event's website, Amesbury Days has a long history that dates back to the first town celebration in 1899. A block party, beer and music stroll, city-wide yard sale, drone racing, wrestling, and other events will all be held throughout the festival by the organizers at various sites and places.

Also Read: Fireworks Make Wild Birds Sleep Less and Fly 300 Miles Nonstop, Study Shows 

Endangered Bobolink Birds

Breeding male Bobolink birds are stunning whether perched on a grass stem or performing in flight over a field. No other bird in North America has a black underpart and a white back; some have compared this appearance to wearing a tuxedo backward.

The male's rich, straw-colored patch on the head and his bursting, virtuoso song are other features. He changes into a female-like buff and brown plumage as the summer comes to a finish. Though still quite widespread in grasslands, Bobolink populations are dwindling.

Blackbirds, to whom bobolinks are related, are frequently polygynous, implying that males may have many partners throughout the mating season. In addition to being polygynous, bobolinks are frequently polyandrous, meaning that each clutch of eggs from a single female may have several fathers, according to All About Birds.

Related Article: New Fireworks Regulations Require Use of Biodegradable Materials, July 4 Shows Canceled