Bobolinks are charismatic songbirds that spend their summers breeding in North American farmlands before overwintering in South America, making a round-trip migration of more than 12,500 miles annually. Unfortunately, bobolink populations have declined by over 50% in the last 50 years. By fitting bobolinks with tiny barometric geolocators, Smithsonian scientists and partners are beginning to piece together their journey, and the challenges these birds face along their routes. In 2025, researchers successfully recaptured tagged birds and recovered the data, getting their first glimpse of the full route. Read the full story to see how tracking bobolinks is helping researchers make management recommendations along their migratory routes. Visit: https://s.si.edu/4rl5k0q Video description: The video opens with a scene showing a male bobolink perched atop a thistle in an open field. Text on screen reads: "This is a bobolink, a grassland nesting bird. These charismatic songbirds spend their summers breeding in North American farmlands before overwintering in South America. Bobolinks make a round-trip migration of more than 12,500 miles annually." The next scene shows a female scientist using binoculars while standing in a field, followed by another shot of more scientists in a field, looking at something on the table before them. Text on screen reads: "Researchers are studying bobolink's migration path, hoping to understand the challenges the birds face along the way and how we can protect the habitats they rely on throughout their full annual cycle." Next, a close up shot of a male bobolink held in a person's hand. A tiny tracker sits on the back of the bird. Text on screen reads: "These researchers use barometric geolocators, a cutting-edge technology that records light and air pressure to track location and altitude to track the birds." The video closes with a scene showing the female scientist releasing the bird, which flies away.