Bobolink: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Little Songbirds · day 5 of 7

Five facts

1. One bobolink was tracked flying 19,000 km in a single year.
2. On migration, a bobolink can cover up to 1,800 km in one day, then rest for days or even weeks.
3. Bobolinks are the only land birds known to pass through the Galápagos every year. Charles Darwin collected one there in 1835.
4. When horses were the main transport, farmers needed lots of hay. The open hay fields gave bobolinks nesting space and their numbers rose.
5. The female builds her cup-shaped nest on the ground all by herself, then lays three to seven eggs.

The quiz

1. How far was a single bobolink tracked travelling over a year?

• 1,900 km
• 19,000 km (correct)
• 4,800 km
• 80,000 km

One bobolink was tracked flying 19,000 km in a year.

2. How far can a bobolink fly in a single day?

• Up to 160 km
• Up to 480 km
• Up to 8,000 km
• Up to 1,800 km (correct)

On migration, a bobolink can fly up to 1,800 km in a single day.

3. Which famous scientist collected a bobolink in the Galápagos?

• Charles Darwin (correct)
• Jane Goodall
• Gregor Mendel
• David Attenborough

Charles Darwin collected a bobolink in the Galápagos in 1835.

4. Why did bobolink numbers rise when horses were the main transport?

• Horses scared off their predators
• Horses dropped seeds for them
• Farmers' hay fields gave them nesting space (correct)
• Farmers fed them grain

Farmers needed more hay, creating open grassy fields that bobolinks used for nesting.

5. Where do bobolinks build their cup-shaped nests?

• In tall trees
• On the ground (correct)
• In cliff holes
• In reed beds over water

The female builds a cup-shaped nest on the ground.

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