“Why would this odd little bird be living here?” They feed on insects during the nesting season, helping control agricultural pests, before switching to seeds later in the year. Because they require large expanses of open grasslands with little tree cover for nesting, Bobolinks are considered an important indicator of healthy grassland ecosystems. In 2025, the first year they adjusted their farming practices by cutting hay later, they noticed a few more bobolinks took flight over their fields. He had read that bobolinks come back to the same area year after year, even when hay is cut early and chicks die.