This is bird note.

If you had to pick the bird most like a superhero,

the bobble ink might not be an obvious choice.

But these quirky blackbirds have abilities that would impress Superman himself.

Every year, Babylinks fly from their wintering grounds in southern South America,

all the way to grasslands in North America.

Completing the 12,000-mile round trip in the fall,

some Bobolinks travel a distance equal to a few laps around the planet

over the course of their lives.

Flying that far requires a rock-solid navigation system.

Bobolinks carry one in their nose.

Iron oxide in their nasal passages lets them sense the Earth's magnetic fields

and orient themselves to compass directions.

Despite their incredible abilities,

Bobbolinks are pretty modest in their habitat needs.

They're happy to nest in a grassland or just an overgrown farm field.

Even so, Bobolinks have lost many of their habitats.

Maintaining prairies and harvesting hayfields outside of their nesting season can help

bobolinks and other grassland birds find places to raise their little ones.

Each tiny bobolink chick could be destined for multiple trips around the globe.

No cape needed.

For Bird Note, I'm Michael Stein.

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